Stumbling - an interactive experiment
by Awatere11
Summary: OK, so after talks on A03 I have decided to share an unfinished work I abandonned. This is going to be an experiment and will be shared with A03. I want to see your reactions in the comment box. Or if you are really brave, post a one-shot of your own chap.
1. Chapter 1

Ianto was quietly handing out the coffees as the team continued their ranting. The morning meeting was bleeding into the usual arguments quickly.

Another weekend with no sign of down time had started to fray the last remaining nerves and everyone blamed the one person who always seemed to come up in front of impending doom. Jack!

Owen has finished his posturing and sat back to enjoy Tosh's rare display of temper. His gaze wandered to Ianto as the voices washed over them. Ianto lent forward to place the cup of tea in front of Tosh and froze for a moment before placing the cup and saucer in front of her.

Yeah, tea-boy also looked like death warmed up even though he knew he was sneaking off for cat naps in the archives. Yeah, he caught him yesterday in deep sleep. Alright to be the bloody teacher's pet eh?

Owen then noticed something he hadn't before. Jack was also watching Ianto's hands. Not that it was unusual for Jack to watch tea-boy but seriously, he seemed to be watching intently. For what?

There! Ianto froze again, then went to pick up the last cup on the tray and missed. His hand closed over air and his eyes flicked to Jack who frowned back. Then Jack's eyes refocused on Owen and his face changed.

Owen knew that look. The "don't say anything" look. What the hell?

Ianto went to leave the room with the tray tucked under his arm and stopped again before stepping to the left. Yep, he had been about to walk into the doorframe. Why take a step and not just adjust his … oh shit.

Owen was out of his seat before Jack had a chance to interrupt the loud posturing of Gwen than had distracted him from the stepping.

"Ianto, Oi!" Owen called out as Ianto turned at the base of the steps.

Ianto turned and grabbed the banister as he did. Ok. Balance problems?

"Med-bay! Now!" Owen hoped Ianto was act as he always did with a direct order.

Ianto's soft sigh told him he was right.

Gwen's protests petered out as she followed Jack out onto the catwalk.

"Shirt off, on the gurney. Come on, you know the drill!" Owen folded his arms in his hero pose.

Jack had reached the top of the walkway and looked down in time to see what was unfolding and called out to Owen to hold fire.

"Why? Wanna tell me something about tea-boy?" Owen frowned as Ianto froze.

"Ianto, go clean the conference room please sweetie" Jack said softly.

Ianto started to re-button his shirt and Jack waited for him to gain the top step before reaching out and re-buttoned the shirt correctly. With a soft kiss to his check Jack pushed Ianto away.

"Conference room love" he said again.

Ianto nodded and wandered off as if nothing had happened.

"Jack?" Owen was worried now. A public display of affection and terms of endearment in front of them without complaint as well as an obvious motor skill deficiency …

"You've not noticed have you. Not since the sea whale." Jack sighed and rubbed his face.

"What? That was weeks ago. Last bloody down day was …"

"Ianto had a stroke that night Owen" Jack said quietly.

"What!" Owen bellowed.

"Calm down!" Jack hissed.

"Talk! Now goddamn it!" Owen replied sitting down with a thud.

"After the whole thing was over we returned to the hub. Ianto was still a bit jumpy and I wanted to calm him down. The coffee machine usually does it so I was in my office trying to start the report and Yan was in the kitchen. After a while I noticed he wasn't making any noise so I went to find my coffee." Jack stopped and thought for a moment.

Owen had never seen Jack so unsure of himself. After a moment he restarted.

"He was just standing there. Locking in top of the coffee grinder, then un-locking it again. When I asked what he was doing he told me the stars were too bright to see. I laughed at him then saw he was serious. I did a check and one of his hands couldn't form a fist." Jack's voice broke in the last word and he took another deep breath.

"So you didn't say anything?" Owen asked with horror.

"I took him to A&E and they took him in for tests. He was diagnosed with a mild stroke and he refused to stay in. You know he hates hospitals." Jack shrugged. "Next day was a down day after the mission and when you all came back and he was OK."

"OK? Fuck Jack, he should have been resting, should probably still be resting" Owen snorted.

"You try telling him that. Look, he doesn't want a fuss and with that display from Gwen he thought it best just to try and move forward."

"Jack, a mild stroke is sometimes a pre-cursor to a major one. Shit!" Owen moved from the med-bay and found Ianto standing at the top waiting.

"Told him?" he said softly to Jack.

The girls were still talking as they walked over to join the men and came a stop by Owen.

"Told him what?" Gwen demanded.

Ianto frowned at her and shook his head.

"Told him what Jack?" Gwen repeated ignoring Ianto.

"Nothing that concerns you!" Jack snarled as Ianto turned to leave.

Ianto stumbled and Owen got to him before Jack.

"Steady on mate, let's sit down for a minute." Owen said softly.

"Fuck off!" Ianto snarled, pulling his arm from Owen's grip and slamming back into Jack who caught him.

"Ianto!" Tosh gasped in shock at the uncommon outburst.

"Steady on yourself Owen!" Jack bellowed, lifting Ianto as if he were a child and swinging him behind him.

"Do we have a problem here Owen?" Jack growled with one hand still reaching back to contain Ianto.

"Fucker touched me!" Ianto roared, trying to reach around Jack to grab Owen who gave a squeak of surprise and jumped back slamming in to Gwen.

"Ianto? What's wrong Pet?" she frowned trying to understand the weird scene and unfamiliar vulgarity from polite Ianto.

"Owen touched me the fucking …" Jack's hand was now over his mouth as his stare of death was drilling into Owen's shocked face.

"Er, Ianto's a bit over-tired girls. There was a late night …" Owen started but Tosh interrupted.

"No there wasn't. Nothing logged and nothing …"

"We did a side job for UNIT, not logged because it was off the books" Jack answered removing the hand from Ianto's mouth.

"But Flash, he fucking …"Ianto stopped and froze then gave a snort before moving toward to kitchen.

"Conference room. Sir?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Um, no thanks sweetie. I think we all have reports to write and we'll have our meeting later." Jack smiled softly.

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So…..what do you think?

Come on, I've done Groundhog Day with you but this is different….this is YOUR fic. Tell me what you think is happening, what might happen?


	2. Chapter 2

2\. PatJanto

Later, Looking out his office window, Jack observed his team go about their daily tasks. To Tosh and Gwen Ianto seemed fine, but Jack knew better than anyone, He knew eventually he wouldn't be able to protect Ianto from his teammates especially Owen probing eyes and questions. Thank goodness he stop Owen before he started his exam. The alien device he kept in the secures safe in his office was working ,camouflage most of Ianto symptoms, Now if Ianto could come to grip with the changes that is happening to his 21 century body. Ianto was freaking out, knowing if Gwen discover what was happening to him she would see him as disgusting and unnatural. Then there was Owen who would want to put him under a microscope, overjoyed to be the first doctor to document this rare abnormality,

As Ianto and Jack eyes met there was a glitch of mischief as a smirk form on their lips.

^*************************...….great add buddy, I see a wee bit more...******************************************^

Of all the things Jack had thought he might meet, see; learn this had not been one of them. Gods, he and John had even joked about it last time they were back this far in the time-streams about 'primitive' humans and here was Ianto proving him wrong in the most…unusual …way.

Jack watched as Tosh rose to follow Ianto into the kitchen and her hand rose, stroking his shoulder to let him know she was there. She was one of the few people who knew how he could zone out while at his beloved coffee machine and he turned to face her as the loving smile betrayed his pleasure in her presence.

As always there was that momentary sting.

Jelousy.

Silly, Tosh was no threat and he knew their affections were more sibling in nature, always taking of off like a chill in the air but now, most of all Jack felt that fear sliding up his spine as Ianto's face softened and he looked down at her as if being shown a rare gem.

Tosh said something and his response was obviously his dry humour because she pretended to turn to go, her hand over her mouth as she repressed her laughter, then she turned back and Ianto smiled at her, offering the cup.

Jack leaned back and considered things.

Ho far could they take this? What level could of secrecy could they possibly hope to achieve even with the device humming softly in the background.

Time still ticked by and as if hearing his thoughts, Ianto glanced up and they locked eyes.

Then a gentle nod and Ianto moved away.

Jack took the hint and blinked away the urge to follow Ianto with his eyes.

He had work to do.

Before it was too late.

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.So, this is how it can work. You lead me and I will follow for a while, then stumble again. I will wait for the next prompt to light my way a little further, yes?

Wondering if Owen tries to get the medical records or something. Also, I think we need a name for this device we are using to cloak Ianto. It may become important later on?


	3. Chapter 3

COMMENTS SO FAR…

FranArian  
Hmmm...not good. Owen's right. A minor stroke is quite often the precursor for a more profound stroke or even a major aneurysm rupture, either of which can be devastating (not to mention deadly). Ianto is already showing visual deficits, mild hemiparesis/hemiplegia, ataxic gait, and cognitive symptoms in the form of mood swings. Let's hope there's some alien tech that can help if his condition declines...and that it's actually a CVA and not an alien parasite (see Katie, and the death there of). Think I'll see how this starts to roll before offering any evil suggestions. :)

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OOOOOOOOOOO hadn't thought of a host/rider scenario Franarian!

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Yeedle  
Love the concept...my thoughts-Ianto's mild stroke caused personality changes as well as physical limitations. Are they temporary or permanent? Was the stroke caused by the sea whale in some way throwing out some part of its consciousness to another life form to preserve it since it was dying? How does the the team react to the new Ianto?

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Thanks, reminding about the space whale can give some different routes to go down there!

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Yes, I agree that the effects being displayed are troubling. Also, I like the inference that this might not be what it seems but some sort of smoke screen.

Stroke victims do sometimes display sudden personality changes which can be quite upsetting to all parties, also the short term memory loss.

I also like Yeedle's point that with this coming off the back of the Space Whale, did the creature play a part?

Or perhaps the gun did fire but it was not a bullet? I always assumed the injuries Ianto sustained that day was from the ropes but there could have definitely been more…to have been captured I think he would have struggled. Did he get a blow to the head then? Something injected or…tech used?

Or is this something symbiotic….something inside Ianto? Hmmmm, do I smell MPREG coming on while the team fumble about misdiagnosing it as an infestation or something? Too soon? LOL

Maybe the Space Whale did give him something, or recognize something as it called out in its death throes? Woke something that had been dormant maybe?

Hmmmmm.

Lots of possibilities.


	4. Chapter 4

4

Ianto stood morosely staring at the device as Jack knelt and reached out a hand to shake it gently.

It was cold and dank down in the basement level and Ianto pulled his jacket tighter, knowing this was bad, really bad. "Can you fix it?"

He hated how desperate he sounded, and the way Jack was grimacing wasn't helpful either.

"I'm sorry Ianto" Jack sat back on his heels, "This is clearly why you've been stumbling. It is phasing and as it flickers in and out, so does its ability to filter your thoughts."

"And when it finally gives up the ghost, mine comes back" Ianto slumped against the wall with despair.

"I'll think of something" Jack rose to face him, his hands warm as he rubbed at Ianto's arms, "I know there has to be a secondary power source here somewhere, OK?"

"Jack, I can't….I can't go back there" Ianto whispered, "I …I can't hear that in my head. The constant noise, the drumming. I don't know if I can handle that voice in the back if my mind saying those terrible, horrible things."

Jack pulled him in close, desperate to soothe, to comfort as he saw the terror in his lover's face. Ever since the Space Whale, it's mind finding Ianto's amidst the chaos and unlocking a door deep in the back if his mind, Ianto had started to become increasingly unstable.

The mood swings, the loss of control. It was happening more frequently and this Darlek mind control Jack had fixed…well … modified to filter the white noise away, making Ianto calm again and surprisingly it had made Owen less snappish too.

Now it's power source was dying and Ianto's control along with it.

"What will we do Cariad?" Ianto whispered softly, his hands scrabbling at Jack and he felt his heart twist as he held Ianto tighter, like it might stop him flying apart like autumn leaves.

"We will hold on tight Tiger" Jack replied softly "I will not let you go. No matter what happens, I will not let you go, OK?"

"Remember you said that" Ianto's voice was deeper, more clipped as he solidified in Jack's arms and then pulled away. His face the usual mask of annoyance as he turned to look at the door moments before Tosh clicked in, her heels drumming with that fucking noise.

"There you are" she smiled softly, "I was doing a scan and wondered what the heat signatures were."

"You can scan this deep?" Ianto canted his head, "You have enhanced the wavelength?"

"By another three bars" she answered with a grin, his following gently as he stepped to one side so she could speak to Jack. "There is some guy upstairs claiming to know you. Gwen went up to greet him and is all over him like fleas on a dog."

"Shouldn't it be the other way around" Ianto said, then slapped his hand over his mouth as Jack sorted and tried to cover his laugh with a grunt.

Tosh blinked, "Did you just call Gwen a dog?"

"Sorry" Ianto grimaced as she laughed softly.

"She is hard work" she sighed, "anyway…Adam. He is still waiting. She knows him, they seem like good friends so I don't know where you met him."

Jack wandered up with Ianto following calmly, and Jack stood with his hands in his pockets eyeballing him as Adam stood with Gwen.

Ianto seemed fine too… right up to the point where Adam reached out to shake Ianto's hand and there was ….well, both men stalled out before Ianto blinked and released the hand to step back, unholster his side arm and with an intense glare he raised it to Adam's head.

"I don't know what you are but you are not welcome here" Ianto snarled, "That was a shoddy attempt at mind control, one of the poorest I've come across in many years and believe me, after eight hundred years I've come across a few. Now, whatever soul destroying thing you are, get the fuck off my planet before I smite you!"

Adam blinked and then started to back away, heading for the door and he kept rubbing the hand that had touched Ianto, his face showing fear, "what are you. I've never encountered that level of security, what….how did you do that? So many doors."

"Easy" Ianto canted his head as he cocked the gun, "I am the Guardian."  
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Well? Timelord? Sentient being? Space Whale haunting?

What do you think?


	5. Chapter 5

**sandysan2013 on** **Stumbling** **AO3**

Ooooohhh, Guardian! I like that bit. I'm not sure how this works, but Ianto appears to have aged over 800 years in just one conversation about destroying souls and smiting - way cool that - so I'm all for going forward with that with the strength and longevity of the space whales in human form. Were't the space whales guardians of a sort in the Whoverse?

Everydayi'mstumbiling Everydayi'mstumbilingEverydayi'mstumbilingEverydayi'mstumbiling

GUEST: Orin symbiotic like stargate goul, when whale dying it jumped to ianto who had fallen against the whale gun had gone off and ianto shot in head. Reason for stroke symptoms is bullet still there has now travelled to heart and ia what he can hear all the the time, the bullet blocking a,valve then moving. Orin cant get it out so owen must use sing. Scalp toP remove without removing orin ir ianto will die. Gwen thinks it is eeally gould snake ajd tries the gun to the head thing to get owen to remve it. Orin mean ianto has long lufe with jack...gwen a douche.

Everydayi'mstumbiling Everydayi'mstumbilingEverydayi'mstumbilingEverydayi'mstumbiling

OK, good god….loving this madness here, yes. Space Whale and Meat episode was the thing that happened here….OK. Moving ahead….here we go.

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"So….hang on." Owen had stood and he sat down, massaging his temples, "you have a …parasite in you?"

"A pilot" Ianto replied.

Owen shrugged to show he was still confused as Gwen simply clicked a pen at a furious rate, her eyes whipping between them.

"OK, let's put it this way" Jack interrupted, "You've seen Stargate, right? The Goa'uld? The little snake things that live in a human host and together they exist?"

"They conquer!" Owen snorted.

"OK, so…bad example then. These are not actually those, these are…."

"Pilots" Ianto repeated rolling his eyes. "Here on earth we have Pilot Fish that live with the large Whales, feeding off the parasites and such that annoy the whales. A symbiotic relationship. OK, so these little Pilots are like that but of course in space they live INSIDE their whale. In the warehouse, while all the commotion was going on I fell against the whale and her pilot transferred. She was dying, it needed a host and I was…injured. It saw something it could heal and acted."

"It went into you?" Owen frowned.

"Orin" Ianto said softly.

"What?"

"He is called Orin" Ianto said calmly, "I was shot. In the head. A gun. He…he took over and went after them while healing me as best he could."

"So the headaches, stroke like symptoms, shit. You've got a bullet in your fucking head?" Owen gaped.

"Actually it's in my heart now" Ianto sighed, "He healed me from the outside in, not realising it would trap the fragment. It has travelled to my heart and the noise is infuriating. He can hear it all the time, the banging of the heart valve as it catches and blocks, then clears again."

"Holy shit!" Owen snorted.

"Pilots travel the 'Verse learning and exploring" Ianto explained softly, "Space Whales live so long and they see so much. Pilot are practically immortal. They also heal their host and prolong their life too."

"So, he's about 800 years old for real?" Owen laughed softly.

"Well, in space there is little to judge time against" the deep voice was devoid of accent and Owen canted his head as he realised the Pilot was speaking, "But I do believe so. Ianto has explained your concept of time and I have calculated to the nearest Sol3 year."

"Your eyes don't glow when you control him!" Gwen pointed out and everyone slowly turned to stare at her.

"Gwen" Jack said slowly, "He is not s Goa'uld! He is a friendly species."

"Ianto chooses to let me speak" Orin said with equal slowness, "Ianto controls this vessel, I am here as an observer. If he wants to, he can give control to me. I am a pilot."

"So. You have a bullet in your heart causing you angst" Owen said as he started to swing in his chair again, "We need to get it out."

"Yes, I would prefer the heart gone altogether, troublesome thing but Ianto had explained that he needs it" the voice droned, "But seriously, these bodies are so annoying. They were poorly constructed."

"Yeah, tell me about it!" Owen snorted, "We are still evolving though."

"This is still the 21st Century" Jack smiled, "By the 51st we have adapted more. We are both out of our ponds, aren't we?"

"Ah. I understand this analogy" the voice said and then came a smile that was clearly Ianto and the vowels filled Jack with affection, "But you will always be the lecherous shark Sir."

"Cheeky" Jack laughed.

Gwen folded her arms as she leaned back in the chair and stared at Ianto some more.

She remembered the movie with Kurt Russell in it and Rhys watched the show with MacGyver in it. She was going to interig…er…ask him later.

As if catching her thoughts, Ianto looked in her direction and she would have sworn his eyes glowed for a second.

Maybe.


	6. Chapter 6

**DomIantoRules on A03**

This Gwen is an idiot. She doesn't have enough brains for them to rattle. Once again, she's going to leap to an erroneous conclusion (one the others already told her was wrong) then she'll act on it like it's proven fact, and be surprised and upset when it all blows up in her face. She needs to learn to let things be.

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From: Guest on FF :Gwen will pot him to unit thinking jack under mind control and she saved wveryone...wondr why they all so mad wif her. Unit will hurt ianto to see him heal and tjink jack passed on imortality as orion is cloaked frok scans?

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"Heading out, Ianto can you come?" Gwen called as she ran along the hub grating and Ianto immediately grabbed his coat to follow.

They climbed into the SUV and sped out of the underground parking level and up into the street, cruising along as Ianto checked his PDA and frowned, "Gwen, there's no work number. Where are we off to?"

"Have to meet someone and wanted backup" she replied and Ianto lowered the PDA to look at where they were, more interested now as he recognized the industrial area near where Myf had been found.

They entered a warehouse and the large doors swung closed behind them, startling Ianto who turned to her again, trying to read her face as she turned to face him.

"Gwen what is this?"

"Something that has to be done, it will all be over soon" she slid out the door and he blinked, then followed, his Burberry flapping as he hurried to catch her up in the cold warehouse his eyes checking corners and shadowed areas nervously.

"Gwen? Who are we meeting?"

"General!" Gwen said happily and Ianto slowed with horror as he saw the Unit team waiting and he spun to look at Gwen with open fear as she continued to speak, "Here he is. As you can see, he is easily led."

It was all too easy for them, he had trusted her so complicity that he hadn't even unholstered the weapon that was being taking as the gun to his head encouraged his co-operation.

"What will you tell your captain" the General asked as he watched the handcuffs trap their latest acquisition.

"The truth" he shrugged, "There was a treat, I dealt with it. Once the mind control wears off he will realize that I did my duty."

"Gwen" Ianto said softly, "I trusted you, how could you be so…so…cold."

"We don't need your kind here, Jack needs his own mind back and with you gone he will shake off whatever it is you were controlling him with, you and your little snake!"

"Snake? Gwen I can assure you it is not little!" Ianto blinked innocently, "Seriously? You are still jealous of my sexual relationship with Jack, you do this? What did you tell them, why would they agree to take me?"

"The Goa'uld!" she sneered, "They know about your little ….pilot thing!"

Ianto's eyes grew wide and then to her confusion he threw his head back and barked with laughter, "Gwen, are you really telling me you told them I am a character from a TV show and they believed you?"

Ianto turned to the General, "I don't know what is says about her that she is so willing to get rid of her romantic competition by making up the ridiculous lie or how easily she led you. You do know it's a TV show, right? I am not a…Goa'uld. Have you seen the show? Do I have one of those funky head things?"

"Only the slaves do!" Gwen said authoritatively, "I told you he would try to lie to you about it. Test him, watch his eyes and you will know. Goodbye Ianto."

Ianto felt a spike of fear and then the voice whispered that it would be OK, they would find nothing, and there was nothing to fear.

 _We logged the location as we pulled up, remember? As soon as Toshiko checks the PDA she will find our location. Be calm. I am not afraid, we will survive this._

Ianto was yanked along as he looked back to see the doors opening and the SUV roared off without him, leaving him to his fate.

"Right, we have the lab set up, take him and begin the tests" the general barked, "Just don't kill him. Well, not yet."

"Sir"

"I am giving you 24 hours to prove the existence of the symbiotic passenger" he said as he started to walk in another direction and Ianto pulled against the restraints as he was dragged along.

"And when you find nothing?" he called out to the retreating man's back, "When you realize she played you and you have just taken Captain Jack Harkness' lover? What then?"

The man had the good grace to turn and gape before taking a step back towards him, "Lover?"

"Yes!" Ianto spat, "Jack and I are a couple, you know? Relationship? Lovers? Partners? That bitch had been pursing him for months and you have just done the very thing she wanted. She will go back and tell him I fell into the fucking rift or something. He will not stop looking for me, he will not believe her as he knows I am well trained and he will seek me out. It might take time but he will find me. After all, he found Toshiko where you had hidden her, right?"

The General was chewing it over so Ianto tried one more poke.

"He will tear this place asunder" he said calmly to him, "He will decimate you. After all, you've not a good relationship to start with, this will be enough for him to lose his shit."

"Get him out of her, test him now" the General snarled, "You have two hours!"

"Two?" the man in the while coat squealed, "You said 24."

"Adapt!" the General roared as he spun to move away faster, "If he is looking we have to move. You have two and then we up sticks and move."

Ianto hoped Orin was right. He could ghost and hide from scans, hide from them. The PDA automatically updated to Mainframe each time it was turned off, which he had done when they exited the vehicle. Two hours? Was that enough time?

He also hoped Jack could control his temper long enough to get the job done before he punished Gwen.

He really wanted to see that for himself.

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So I am wondering if Ianto is still OK when Jack gets there or they have started experimenting on him. Injured, watching him heal sounds good, starting with some small injuries, by the time Jack gets there…an hour? Half an hour? They have started getting more serious. As they can't find the Pilot they believe Jack had STD'd his abilities to Ianto and are considering killing him to see if he comes back.

Jack will get there in time to stop that of course but I wonder the level of injury and possible drugs already suffered?

What do you think?


	7. Chapter 7

**sandysan2013 AO3:** I think Gwen's punishment should be to suffer or watch Rhys suffer whatever Ianto is put through. I wouldn't really punish Rhys, I'd just let her think he was suffering. I'd also make sure Rhys knew what she'd done and give him the choice to stay with her or leave; to join T3 while she is forced to leave or is locked up. Gwen is really handy as a point of conflict so I don't want her executed. As for how damaged Ianto is, I'm not sure I want him damaged a lot. I want the equipment to break or damage its users and not the intended victims so that at the end of the day, the UNIT tram is sorry they ever started this mess. Plus, their superiors sold find out they tested someone because of a Sci-fi series explanation was posed as real. Maybe Gwen gets committed to a mental institute and the unit leader gets fired or demoted, as well as hurt by his own equipment.

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Guest on FF: Oein will save them both as jack slams in too. Gwen in deeo shit, i would keep rhys and gave her fall into machine iamto was in cyberman style knuves abd stuff. Sceams and blood then they see what almost happened to yan.

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Ianto felt ill, he couldn't take it much more and he vomited over the side of the gurney as a soldier swore and jumped back.

"That'll be the sedatives" a voice said from somewhere nearby, "Just let him get it out while he can still roll. Don't want him to choke on it."

"Well?" the General barked.

"Nothing" the far away voice sighed, "Human. 100% human. Can't find anything in the scans, bloods, MRI, thermo imaging…nothing. I think he was telling you the truth, that bitch just wanted him out of the way, either that or she set you up."

"Shit"

Ianto felt his stomach roll once more, then a calm came over him as Orin soothed and whispered gentle, calming things to him and Ianto let himself sink into the sedatives as he let Orin have control for a while.

They wanted a Pilot? Orin was taking the helm.

First, he examined the straps holding them down and it was a simple flick to snap both thumbs and slide the hands out, then reset the thumbs and heal. He sat up the body and tested the head in top of the neck, still getting used to the controls here folks, ah. Right.

Orin reached down and snapped the straps on the ankles, enjoying the muscles as they shifted under the skin and then swung the legs over the edge, standing and reaching for the soldier still looking down at his soiled shoes.

The necks on these creatures are so delicate, you would think there would be more muscles or something to help protect them. It snapped with just one hand?

He tried another and was surprised all over again as he found this one even daintier and as she folded gracefully to the ground he canted his head and stared at the General, standing with his back to him as he leaned over the shoulder of the doctor reading the screen.

"We'll put him back in the stimulus chair" the General said and Orin felt anger. True, hot anger as he recalled the way Ianto had screamed as he had been tortured in the strange chair that gave electrical pulses that were not life threatening, but agonizing. Well, might have been without him on board to help.

There was commotion outside in the hall and Ianto whispered in the back of his mind that it was Jack, only his weapon made that thudding noise and Orin stepped aside as the door flew back off its hinges and Jack's boots were followed by his coat tails as he stormed into the room.

Orin felt Ianto's relief and…affection.

A new concept and it felt nice.

Then Jack was embracing him, pulling him in and holding him close as he raised the Webley at the General, "Tell me how you got him!"

"Jack" Ianto sighed as he slumped against him, released by Orin who felt Ianto's need to calm his mate.

"TELL ME!" Jack roared and spit flew, "How did you get Ianto!"

"Gwen" Ianto whispered and Owen reacted before Jack could, shoving her with anger and she stumbled back, squeaking as her arms wind milled and she landed in the chair.

"It wasn't my fault!" she wailed, "I might have one too. How do you know I wasn't being controlled?"

Owen opened his mouth to respond but Gwen was looking down at the foot pedals near the chair and she squirmed until she could touch one.

The chair hummed as she settled back, Jack letting his grip slide as Ianto lunged, calling out a warning but her look was one of triumph as it started to change pitch and then she was screaming, writhing and screaming as the chair gave her the same treatment Ianto had suffered not half an hour ago.

"She's not got the mouth restraints in" Ianto sighed, "I hope she doesn't bite her tongue off."

"Fuck" Owen said as he watched her hair start to rise, the electrical charge making it crackle.

Finally it cycled down and she slumped, making little squealing noises as she wet herself.

"Well, I didn't do that at least!" Ianto sniffed as he turned to Jack, "She brought me here because she decided it would 'save' you from me and Orin."

"Right!" Owen stepped closer to the chair, "What other ones did they use?"

"Owen!" Ianto scolded as he watched the acrid man stomp on another pedal.

Gwen made a high pitched howl as the chair started again and Owen stood with his arms folded watching.

"For scientific purposes" Owen said without looking away an Ianto turned to Jack who just shrugged then looked at the General.

"You!" Jack pointed at him, "You General, go next!"


	8. Chapter 8

8

Yeedle FF

I think Jack would see through Gwen relatively quickly and Tosh would be able to locate Ianto using her skills. Maybe it takes an hour for that to happen and Jack grabs Tosh and Owen and sets out to rescue Ianto. Jack gets to Ianto maybe an hour and a half into the experimenting-long enough for Ianto to be in significant distress but before anything irreversible happens. I think Jack would be furious with Gwen and Unit after seeing Ianto abused and there is no telling what he would do in his anger and fear for Ianto. Maybe the relationship between Ianto and the pilot becomes stronger after enduring the experience

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Jack was sitting by the bed as Ianto stirred and opened his eyes, looking up with surprise at the surroundings.

"Hey" Jack smiled softly, "Welcome back."

"It's Orin" he replied croakily, "Ianto is still …recovering. Such delicate minds, so easily scrambled. He is standing in a huge room full of filing cabinets that go from floor to ceiling with all these files on the floor slamming them back into drawers, muttering to himself. Tiring just watching him."

Jack smiled at the description of Ianto's memory and nodded, "He is very organised. Hates mess."

"Yes, he is the most comfortable vessel I have ever piloted, it was surprising at first but then I saw why your kind is so prevalent" Orin said calmly, "You are all very sweet, for all your rampaging and destruction there is a side to you that is easily forgivable."

Jack laughed softly and leaned back in the chair, "So Ianto is not in pain?"

"You care for him" Orin said softly, "It is interesting that even though you are not able to breed, you chose one another."

"Actually we can" Jack leaned close and spoke quietly so the others couldn't hear, "I can reproduce, I am from the future when gene manipulation means the males of some of our kind can grow a baby. I could have one with Ianto, if not for the fact that we are constantly at a state of emergency."

"Ah yes, the whatever to midnight clock" Orin smiled and Jack noted that it was different to Ianto's even on the same face, "Ianto has shown me a lot of his memories, lets me loose in his mind and although there are many evil things lurking, I was pleased to find the level of affection there. You are his greatest treasure, the memories and thoughts of you are in a gold filing cabinet all on their own, prized."

Jack felt a rare blush as he heard of Ianto's feelings, something he knew Ianto would be squirming about if he were listening and this let him know that Ianto was not there.

"Orin, you will look after him, right?" Jack frowned, "You will always do your best to heal him? He is…special. Important. You see that right? I mean …my memoires and thoughts of him are in a gold box on my head too."

"Yes" Orin softened Ianto's face, "I see that. He knows no other love like yours."

Jack swallowed and shifted in the chair as he wondered how Ianto would react to knowing these secrets and decided not to say. It was not his place to decide when Ianto was ready to reveal his damaged, sweet heart so he thanked Orin, finding solace in the fact that this Pilot was not only a good friend, but someone he felt trustworthy to share his beloved with.

"Ianto will recover" Orin continued speaking as he saw the closure in their last subject and chose another, "I would like to know about the female. She seems counterproductive and her actions not only angered Ianto but they frightened him as well. I see that she has done things in the past to cause him harm. Little hurts, digs and harsh words at times. I do not think she will stop. It is like a spiteful sibling always trying to push the other out of the spotlight. Fratricide seems to be on her brain. Will she always try to cause him harm?"

Jack sighed as he rubbed his face, "I think so. Mind, the others are thinking about that too. We have her partner, Rhys, coming in to talk to about what has happened. Do you remember him?"

"Yes, large teddy bear" Orin said, "That's how Ianto seems him."

Jack laughed as he agreed with the analogy, "Look. We will see, I would be happy to Retcon her back to infancy and dump her in the woods but I need to take a back seat here. I am not in a position to make an informed decision right now so I have handed off my command to Owen to sort things. The glee on his face was unnerving."

"Don't worry Captain" Orin assured him, "I feel they have Ianto's best interests at heart. Ianto is fond of that grumpy little man. I thought I had found the correct title for him but Ianto was laughing for so long before chastising me I realise it was not the correct one."

"Really?" Jack grinned, "What did you think he was?"

"A troll."

Jack choked with laughter, tears rolling down his face as he struggled to breathe and he knew Ianto must have been horrified.

"He is stirring, I shall step back now" Orin said, "Nice talking to you Captain."

"Jack, call me Jack. We are going to be spending eternity together my friend" Jack purred and he saw a flash of…pleasure?

Ianto seemed to relax as he took over his consciousness and his eyes rolled to Jack in question.

"It's OK Tiger" Jack said softly, "Me and Orin were just talking abour Gwen. Owen has command and I will abide by their decision."

"Flash, are you OK?" Ianto asked, making Jack's heart melt as Ianto showed concern for him instead of himself.

"Hey, I'm Jumping Jack Flash, remember?"

"Gas, gas, gas" Ianto sighed as his eyes fluttered shut and Jack started to laugh as he finally knew why Ianto had started calling him that.

"Got to let the wee winds fly!" Jack laughed, "Besides, everyone farts, not just me!"

"No, but if it were an Olympic event you would be dripping in gold sir" Ianto said dryly and Jack felt a surge of affection, knowing he was already covered in gold, in Ianto's special memory room. Leaning in he kissed him gently, stroking his face as he told him to rest, he wasn't leaving him. His hand was warm and Jack stroked it gently as he watched Ianto fall into a restful snooze.

All tucked away and files in order.

Golden.

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So… Rhys comes in? Owen will be braying the wee shit. Gwen's fate….let have some ideas.


	9. Chapter 9

**sandysan2013 on A03 -** I think they should tell Rhys exactly what Gwen did and why. It might be better to let him over hear her admission, but that's been done to death probably. Rhys should get a choice of taking a retconned Gwen away to live another life or both losing their memories. Maybe he chooses a life without her, especially if he remembers being retconned. I like him and don't want to see him hurt, but I suspect he'd walk away from Gwen if he saw this other side of her.

sandysan2013 left the following comment on _**Stumbling**_ :

You're right, Rhys should be given a choice of how he lives and what he remembers. I don't see him as a threat to T3, though cannon does show him indiscreet at times. I'd say "Fat chance!" To Gwen ever morphing into a decent human being, but that would be showing more pessimism than I'm comfortable with. So, maybe...

 **scoutbokmal** left the following comment on _**Stumbling**_ :

Yep, I can absolutely see Rhys as part of the team.

DomIantoRules on A03 - I'd agree with you except he should also have the choice of leaving her to her fate and keeping his own memories. While I can't see him as a field agent, I could easily see him as a member of Torchwood in a purely support role. He could take over cleaning, supplies, general maintenance, and other such issues, freeing up Ianto to spend more time in the field or in the Archives. He's Welsh, he could do the tourist office too. He would be much better off without Gwen. She should be retconned, and sent to another city, so there would be nothing to break the retcon. Retcon her back far enough to before her current personality was established, then maybe she can be retrained into a reasonable facsimile of a decent person.

Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkillers

FranArian on FF - I always thought Rhys was a better fit with the team than Gwen. Self-centred, selfish, RTD cross-sex avatar needs to be disappeared to make me truly happy...but I can put up with her for a bit, as long as she gets her just punishment eventually. Providence Park is too good for the wench. Do her appropriate damage and lock her away in a UNIT prison forever once it's time to be done with her,

Brose1001 - Permanent incontinence and nerve ticks from the ectric jolts she set off for herself with her curiosity. Maybe hair permanently (more) frizzed from the same. Lol.

Yeedle = Thank you for that chapter...it was wonderful! I have always has a soft spot for Rhys. He loves Gwen more than she loves him and he knows it. Jack wants to give him an opportunity to give some input into how to deal with Gwen since it will affect Rhys too. Maybe Owen wants her out of Torchwood for good-retconned and done. I think Rhys would struggle with wanting a "normal" life with her and knowing she would want to stay with Torchwood. I see Tosh and Ianto suggesting a less drastic punishment like a 3 month suspension with a chance for reinstatement.

Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkillers

Jack sat waiting for their judgements and was surprised when it was Ianto who chose to speak first.

"She was acting out of love, for all the cruelty she was thinking it was the right thing to do" Ianto pointed out, "I ..I think the Cop outweighs the Agent too much."

"You talk like she is the one with another personality in her, not you" Jack said. Then saw Ianto's pain flare and felt shitty for it, "Hey, I didn't mean it like that."

"I know" Ianto looked down at his lap, making Jack feel a right bastard.

Great.

"Well, I vote we feed her to the fucking furnace" Owen said smugly, folding his arms and screwing his face up, then he sagged, "Nah, not really. Sh is a stupid mare though."

"We should have taken Rhys on" Ianto snorted, then looked up at the silent table. "What."

"You said…shit. He's right!" Owen sat up straighter, "I vote we swap them around, she can bugger off back to the beat and we take Rhys on instead!"

"She might buck the Retcon if she stays in Cardiff. The triple strength would be needed" Jack reminded gently, "It would be all or nothing. If we take Rhys, we might have to do her back to bloody infancy and dump her somewhere. We couldn't have both. It has to be Rhys' decision."

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Rhys stood looking at the screen as Gwen sat in the cell, blinking into space with her hair still sticking up like an extra from some witch movie.

"She…she really potted you?" Rhys asked Ianto, "With all that's happened she went and told Unit you have…what is it again?"

"Orin is an entity that was inside the space whale" Ianto explained for the third time, "The Whale was dying so when I fell against the whale in my own death throes he saw that he could heal me instead and moved over to do so."

"Christ" Rhys huffed, "I thought the gun had misfired."

"No" Ianto said flatly, his hand going to the back of his neck as it always did when he was stressed.

"But…he saved you" Rhys frowned, "He's friendly, right? I mean, if he wanted to take over he would have moved on to Jack!"

They all looked at Rhys as his comment sank in and Owen nodded, "You know what? You are fucking right! Bloody hell, he's right. He could have taken Jack and then we would have been buggered. Jack knows shit we will never know or understand."

"Jack has knowledge that could change the course of this world" Orin's deep chocolaty voice made Rhys blink, "If I were to take him, and I may be able to I could be more powerful than…well. Someone we do not speak of. After all, that Year was reversed."

Everyone stared at him as Jack cleared his throat, "How do you know about that?"

"Ianto told me" Orin said with a roll of his eyes that said he was picking up habits, "He had a special drawer marked 'NO' and he refused to look when I did. There were some disturbing things in there I can never un-see."

"Well….shit" Rhys huffed.

"Look, we have several choices here" Jack tried to pull them back into line "Rhys. You can choose to leave with Gwen and we set you up with new lives, memory implants of something mildly traumatic that made you leave Cardiff and we never existed."

"We kill her and you work for us!" Owen said eagerly and Tosh slapped him.

"Or, we only Retcon Gwen and send her back to basics in Heddlu, you come work for us and we plant a trigger word so we can reactivate her if we need her back. By then maybe you can control her or…not." Ianto said and Rhys realised the welsh accent was him back. "She stays Heddlu and in time we bring her in to liaise maybe but never back into the team, she never knows this happened."

"Well, quite a set of choices" Rhys sighed, "So. We both go bye-bye. Just her by bye-bye. Or she go sabbatical and I come on board in her place?"

"Well….yeah!" the team nodded and Rhys leaned back as he tried to think it over constructively.

He hadn't realised an offer like that could be so…alluring..

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.so? Whatcha think?


	10. Chapter 10

10

Fan Fiction

toobeauty - off with her head! * oops wrong story!* Take Rhys and leave the witch in nappies!

sandysan2013 - I'm stumped. Honestly! Rhys sounds like he'd really be up for joining and he does often come up with common sense answers when everyone else is looking for a more complicated, far out solution. Kind of like Ianto, to be honest. Could T3 have too much sense? Might balance things out. But would Gwen accept a newly energized Rhys? Would she want him involved in something dangerous. She may love him, but she thinks he's an idiot and in all the series treats him like he's less than she is. She lied to him about what she did with the police. Remember she told him she hadn't anything to do with the murders when she returned home from her first sighting of T3? Maybe she wants to protect him, but she certainly hasn't pegged him as someone with the potential to be a hero or more than. She likes him in the category she's assigned him. I think she'll laugh at any attempt he makes to be more. She'll probably leave him voluntarily to find someone else she can dazzle or be so nosey abt what he's doing it will break the retcon. Ok, I've worked it out. I'd like Rhys to accept the offer, Gwen to be retconned and returned to the police and you decide how she responds to her new mate who is all THAT and a bag of chips. I don't think she'll like it. But you decide.

FranArian- Hmmm... Retcon her (a whole LOT) and shove her back in the Heddlu with that vague possibility of liaising later, hire on Rhys for in-Hub only work (and the TI office) with the ability to acquire heavy transport when needed (if he keeps a connection to Harwood's), and see how things roll...

Schuneko - I like the idea of Jack having the balls to confront Gwen and maybe that's when Rys overhears them possibly making him change his mind on the deal he takes.  
It's really sad to me how little she really thinks of 'him' and only loves the surface idea of Jack. Like he'd be ok with her cruelty because she looks good and is great in the sack. Like that's all that would matter to him. I would be really pissed off if I were him. And judging from the way Jack and Ianto's relationship is, they've worked through the fact Jack used to act accordingly. Apparently she didn't get or refused to read the memo and accept the change.

A03

DomIantoRules - Well done. Don't know if the Retcon will hold if she stays in Cardiff, but give it a try. As long as they change ALL the codes she had access to, just in case.

Kathy+C - I really love the idea of Rhys joining the team. Gwen just needs to go away, don't really care where, just away.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooookkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

Jack was still wondering what to do and after a few minutes of swinging in his chair he rose to go talk to Gwen, hoping she had something to say…shed some light on what the hell she had been thinking.

"Gwen" he said softly and she slowly turned to look at him blinking slowly. "What are we going to do, aye?"

"He's a threat" she replied.

"Gwen…"

"Jack, look at me. Is there any way, if your brain was working properly he would be the one in your bed instead of me?" her face was serene as she spoke as if he was the one having some sort of mental episode, "He is not one of us anymore. He is …look. It's like a disease. He's infected with a virus. A bug."

She started to laugh at her joke, "A bug. A worm. Look, seriously, you need to put a bullet in his head…well…another bullet in his head. One that really works this time then come back and we can talk. We can still fix this. I can still make this work for us."

Jack blinked as he leaned against the glass, "What about Rhys?"

"He'll never know any different" she smiled happily, thinking he was agreeing, "He can go home to his parents, we will just knock him to the head and some Retcon to take the last few years. Say I was murdered and he was mugged, Ianto can find a body to…oh. Wait. Um. Who will we get to do his job now!"

"Oh God" Rhys' voice made Jack swing to find Rhys standing there with a look of horror, Owen a few steps behind with a grim frown. "Gwen. You are willing to Retcon me away?"

"No!" she screamed, "No. Rhys, get me out. They are all aliens, we are under attack… Ianto …Ianto is …er…hello Ianto."

"Hello Gwen" Ianto glided around the others to stand next to Jack, "I brought down a jacket for you, I know you hate the cold."

"Oh. Thank you pet" she smiled.

"He is not a pet" Jack said, "How many times must I ask you not to call him that?"

She shrugged, "Well, he is certainly yours. I think he is yours, or are you his? Maybe…"

"That's enough" Rhys snapped, turning to leave.

"Rhys? Don't let him near you, he will control you too!" she yelled and Rhys shuddered before turning back to face her.

"Is he controlling you?" Rhys demanded.

"No!" Gwen sniffed, "I'm too smart for the likes of him!"

"And propositioning Jack just then?" Rhys canted his head, "That was all you then?"

Gwen saw she was trapped in her own lies and she roared as Rhys left, walking sadly up to the main hub.

"Take your time, think it over." Jack patted his shoulder.

"No. I have, she just put the exclamation point on it for me" Rhys sat, "Look. We were in trouble before you came along. She hates the footy, hates Banana Boat, hated Andy and he's really a nice guy, seems she hates anyone who doesn't pander to her and we were bickering about stupid stuff. Then you guys came along and she got…well…smug. I didn't recognise her, ya know?"

"I am sorry Rhys" Ianto said softly as he sat and placed a hand on the man's knee, "I know you were hoping for a wedding soon."

"Yeah well, bloody idiot me!" Rhys huffed sadly.

"What do you want" Ianto asked softly.

"I want …fuck. I want out. Out of this…this…waste of our time" Rhys rubbed his face, "You can really take her memories, back a few years, like she wanted to with me?"

"Yes" Jack answered before anyone else could, "We can put her back in the Heddlu with a cover story that she was away on a special ops thing and her memory wiped by MI8 or some shit. She would never question something that made her look good."

"MI8?" Rhys asked, "Really?"

"Don't be silly" Jack laughed, "Nah. We use that as something to blame. No. Doesn't exist but the underworld thinks it does."

"Well" Rhys slumped, "That just leaves me with all my memories and nothing to do."

"Well…that lasagne of yours is unbeatable" Ianto pointed out, then straightened as he glanced over at Jack, "you know…with all the extra work this is going to make for me with her out of action I will need someone to help me out. Liaise with Heddlu and do the basics. Man the tourist office…lunch…basic work here. All admin, no fieldwork. Interested?"

Jack grinned as he watched Rhys' face change, the prospect of staying in touch with the people he had found more fun than a barrel of monkeys appealing to him.

"I was hoping to ramp back Hardwoods" he admitted, "Sick to death of the new Toll bullshit and head office keeps holding back the performance payments."

"Well, go part-time and come in here part-time" Jack offered. "If you like it we can address your needs."

"And Gwen?" Tosh asked with honest worry on her face.

"I don't know if I want to …no" he said with finality, "A clean break. No, I don't want to trigger something like last time and honesty? I don't know her anymore anyway."

"I am sorry to hear that" Ianto leaned back and Jack smiled softly at him as they agreed.

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Gwen 0 – Rhys 1

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How was that then?

Maybe a new love interest for our big teddy bear in the future and now we have this set maybe Ianto/Orin can do a wee bit of Flat Holm or something?

We could explore how he interacts with those over there, maybe Orin shows empathy?

Or a meeting with Unit where Orin makes some interesting comments?


	11. Chapter 11

11

Fan

FranArian - 'Gwen 0 - Rhys 1'...LOVE it! Situation well handled. What to get up to next... I say yes to all the suggestions. See how Ianto/Orin can help at Flat Holm, come across a case that allows UNIT to get a kick in the pants, and maybe find a new honey for Rhys (someone who'll treat him right). W

SuziH-J - Gwen out of Torchwood - excuse me while I do a happy dance. Rhys in, part time for now looks like. What about getting Andy in as well, and get Gwen out of Cardiff, don't need her seeing them all around and possibly breaking retcon again.

Schuneko - First I've seen Gwen realize she's dug a hole she can't slither out of. I also like Rys admitting she wasn't really as great as she would have us think. He was still hopeful and that just shows he's a good guy who won't give up easily. Leave it to Yan to still try and be nice. Gwen was rather rambling quite a bit, probably due to what the stimulant chair did. In that case it works. I can see Rys running into an old crush. Maybe at a Torchwood pub night. I still think Owen would be curious and run every noninvasive test Ianto would let him.

A03

Kathy+C - Yay! No more Gwen and we get to keep Rhys! Works for me.

scoutbokmal - Orins and UNITS reactions to each other would be hilarious.  
Maybe Rhys/Andy?

DomIantoRules - Great! And remember, Orin has been out in the galaxy, he will have knowledge of other worlds and other species, just like Jack does (but probably different ones than Jack). If they go to Flat Holm, maybe he could hear one of the inmates raving, and recognize the species that guy met when the rift first took him. He could give the caregivers info that might help them treat him, or at least make him more comfortable. Or he could recognize something that comes through the rift and know how to handle it safely. If he's LIKE the Go'a'ould symbiotes, he could be very old, with LOTS of experience. Also, if he can heal Ianto, can he tweak other things, like increasing his speed or enhancing his senses? Even if he only did it in emergencies, it could be very useful. And the healing means he's less likely to die from some random Torchwood encounter.

Dee - Love how Gwen got her comeuppance here! A Ianto/Orin assistance at Flat Holm would be so good, but watching that duo match wits with UNIT sounds like even more fun. UNIT needs to be taken down a few pegs, especially in their pursuit of Torchwood. Rhys would be a great fit, and his transportation knowledge would be of immense help. Everyone's suggestions have made for a great read in this.

…

Ianto stood on the bow as the boat came close enough to nose the dock and he leapt gracefully to the dock, walking along without waiting for Jack who found himself floundering to solid ground with an unnatural nervousness.

He ran after him and caught up as the door swung open and a heavy set black woman stepped out to greet them.

"Ianto!" she said with delight.

"Hello Helen" he replied calmly as Jack skidded to a halt and flapped his coat like a rooster adjusting his feathers.

"Captain" she said with mirth evident as she took in his dishevelled appearance and the way he stepped closer to Ianto with a possessive hand sliding around his waist. She didn't wait for his reply, choosing to swing and re-enter the building.

Jack let Ianto go first, gallant right? Nah, he was a beat out of sync again and once again found himself putting in a wee burst of speed to catch up. Ianto's hand sliding into his as they walked more than made up for it though and the gentle squeeze was a boon.

As they neared a door Ianto slowed and frowned, "Already?"

"Yes, his cycle was halved with the full moon" she sighed in reply, "I fear his time draws closer."''

"As it does for us all Dearheart" Ianto said as he canted his head to listen and Jack heard the faint screaming inside, the name scrawled on the door was 'Jonas' and Ianto's look of sorrow seemed to say it all as he stepped back and cleared his throat.

Jack reached out to touch the door and felt a heat, pulling his hand back. He remembered now. One of his least pleasant catches.

They moved on, coming to one of the newer ones who seemed calmer than Jack remembered her to be. She was sitting in the sun rocking and as Ianto approached Jack watched his demeanour change and he knew instinctively that Orin was taking control as he knelt and said something that sounded like baby gibberish. The woman's face was one of relief as she responded and he sat with her holding her hands and having the nonsense conversation as Helen waited, another woman that looked identical coming to join and Orin rose to address them.

"Hello Margaret, she does not like the green things on the plate. I am unsure for definite but do believe it is peas she speaks of. On the planet she was held on there were little bugs that looked identical and they gave a nasty bite. It worries her" Orin's chocolaty voice purred and Helen's twin sister nodded as she made notes in a pad, "Secondly, I do like that colour on you. Pretty girls, the both of you."

Now Jack gaped as he saw a soft blush, both of them …giggling? Huh?

 _A wink at the boss man to close his mouth and on to the next one._

A little boy, his eyes wide and unseeing. Orin hated this one and touched gently hoping for a better response this time and there was a soft grunt as the child accepted the hands and Orin sang a song in a strange language as they watched.

"He was like a wild animal, couldn't' get near him" Helen explained, "Remember? You brought him in a cage? Ianto here had been working with him and we are now able to get closer. Still starts like a rabbit though."

Orin rose and faced the woman, his smile genuine as he told them that the child felt loved and safe now. Was only afraid of one of the other residents that sometimes barked. The dog in question slunk out the door and Jack knew in time that would be fixed.

"Maybe a little one?" he suggested, "A wee terrier or something so the boy can hold it? Love it? Then understand that they make that sound?"

"Wonderful Cariad" Orin said as he waved a hand at the women, "We can try that for sure. Didn't Duncan mention last trip that his sheltie had popped a litter?"

The two women made happy noises as they agreed about the orderly's litter and now they were rolling.

Three more and Orin can to a stop and frowned, "When did this one get here?"

"Jack brought him the other night, seems shell-shocked" Margaret spoke softly, touching his arm affectionately.

"I smell something familiar on him, not like Lucy. Is he?" Orin swung to look at them like he was accusing them and they looked nervous. "Damn it."

He strode over and knelt, raising her face by placing a finger under her chin, the silent staring contest unnerving and then he said something unexpected, "Sound off Solder!"

"I did my duty, I secured the box Sir" she whimpered, "I contained the threat."

Ianto rose, shooting his cuffs in a familiar way as Orin slid back to seethe. Ianto sighed and rolled his head in his shoulder and then turned to face them, his face not the anger or Orin but the sorrow of a good Welshman.

"Unit" he said softly, "She's Unit. Something she's touched or come in contact with had addled her mind. I would say within the last month. I could only hold her attention for a few moments before she slipped away again. They dumped her and she is most likely not the only one sir. I suggest we check facilities for these cases back inland. I would say she escaped a holding facility for those effected and there will be more."

"Her? But she looks...I'll get Tosh on it" Jack frowned at the heavy set man who seeemd to have swapped bodies or something, "A Unit platoon?"

"Five" Ianto agreed, "Looks like she was part of a retrieval team. Couldn't get much more than a containment box and a weird green glow from her thoughts. She's still terrified at the pain it caused. Mind control perhaps? Something similar. They did not inform us and as we got no royal file I assume they didn't report it to her either."

"Right" Jack took a deep breath as he took charge again, "Unit. Goody. Just what I wanted to round out the month. A good go at Unit. Good for the juices!"

Jack helped Ianto back into the boat and Ianto stepped in close, stealing a gentle kiss before sliding into the cabin and the two women tittered softly as Helen spoke, "Knew it! He called you Cariad back there while distracted. Well I never. Always the pretty ones."

Jack grinned up at them and saluted as he called out to them the boat pulling away, "Always my lovelies. After all …you still make a man like me dream! Ahhhhhh Twins!"

The two women howled with glee as the boat turned and headed back inland and Jack entered the cabin to find Ianto already trying on his laptop.

"You OK love?" Jack asked as he settled into a seat to watch.

"Hot bath to wash the weirdness off and I'll be fine" Ianto answered without looking up, "Always freaks me out going there. Always waiting for the day I see my own name on a door."

"Never gonna happen" Jack said firmly. "Your name is on my door back at home. Both your names."

Ianto glanced up finally, looking at Jack long and hard before a sift smile transformed his face.

"Twypsn" he muttered, the affection dripping off the word.

Jack grinned and nodded.

Totally stupid for him.

.

.

.

.

So I googled Twypsn the other day sine I use it so much and wondered if others do too…was shocked when Walter 8 Chap 22 came up in the results. Such a wonderful word that needs to be used more I think. That and Twat. Sooooo many twats in the world who don't know their titles. It is our duty to let them know their true selves. Bloody twats!

So, Unit meeting is set up like ya wanted. Now who is going to be there, Jack and Ianto/Orin but who else? Jack gonna drop a name or two like 'Lizzie' or 'Doc' to threaten? Or will Tosh already have what they need and he's just gonna fuck with them cos he wants to.


	12. Chapter 12

12

 **A03 thoughts**

 **DomIantoRules** **-** Short chapter, but full of goodness. Loved it all. As to UNIT, whether he name-drops or not, if they have been keeping things from the Queen, he should tell her, once he knows what it is. I mean, he does work for her, so he owes it to her not to let people keep her in the dark about matters that concern her. And as queen, anything that effects the UK is her business. One thing that just occurred to me, if Orin came through the rift, he could have come from another time as well as another place. He does need to be careful not to give them any technologies they shouldn't have yet. Jack can help, as an experienced time traveller, he knows the rules.

 **Dee -** Ooooohhhhh caling for some major UNIT mindfucking, ma'am!  
The Queen should be informed of what Torchwood knows first, especially with the soldier Jack found (is the Queen aware of Flat Holm? She should know about it, its purpose and its needs). Both Jack and the Queen could have a bit of fun busting a few generals and colonels giving Torchwood problems. Ianto/Orin would be instrumental in solving the UNIT soldiers' situation and put a few UNIT bigwigs in check while forcing a change in containment protocols.

 **sandysan2013 -** What is Ianto so anxious to find on his computer? Did he recall something from the Unit soldier? I'll bet that is their next adventure- tracking the mess Unit is making with the memory distorting rift gift.

 **Fan Fiction comments**

FranArian - Oooh... let Toshi already have everything sorted, but allow Jack to enjoy a bit of name dropping to watch the UNIT twats squirm... maybe even get some smug officer sacked...hehehe...Yes, please!  
What if whatever UNIT has in the box is actually something known to Orin, and only he can neutralize it... but Jack's reluctant because Ianto will take damage doing it and he's not sure yet how far the healing thing can go so he's afraid of losing his Welshman...

SuziH-J- Gwen out of Torchwood - excuse me while I do a happy dance. Rhys in, part time for now looks like. What about getting Andy in as well, and get Gwen out of Cardiff, don't need her seeing them all around and possibly breaking retcon again.

Schuneko - First I've seen Gwen realize she's dug a hole she can't slither out of. I also like Rys admitting she wasn't really as great as she would have us think. He was still hopeful and that just shows he's a good guy who won't give up easily. Leave it to Yan to still try and be nice. Gwen was rather rambling quite a bit, probably due to what the stimulant chair did. In that case it works. I can see Rys running into an old crush. Maybe at a Torchwood pub night. I still think Owen would be curious and run every noninvasive test Ianto would let him.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooookkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkthen

Gwen was liking her new home, her new pink walls and pink bedding. She loved her job and was sorry things hadn't worked with that man she had dated but her parents seemed happy enough to have her home.

The head injury seemed to linger, they said she might never regain her memories but her parents were so pleased to have her move back to London with them.

She never gave Rhys or Cardiff a backward glance.

.

.

.

Jack sat watching the UNIT General settle in his chair and then his aides settled as well.

Ianto swept in and placed the file in front of Jack then stepped back to stand with his hands primly clasped. Jack felt the reassuring presence at his shoulder and smiled politely at the General, leaning back to show he was comfortable already.

The General began to speak like he had control of the room, "Well, we would like to talk to you today about one of your inmates. You plucked him two nights ago and my team were close to apprehending him as…"

"No" Jack said firmly.

"Excuse me?"

"No. No, you are not excused and no I will not be discussing the blowfish" Jack said as he let a hand fall on the file Tosh had given Ianto to bring in. "We will be discussing the Daemon Ritus."

"Excuse me?" the General said again and Jack frowned.

"The Daemon Ritus. For godsake man, did you not see Scooby doo Spooky Island?" Jack snorted, "There was this Daemon Ritus thingy, if you all touched it when it was active you all got your spirits pulled out of your bodies and shuffled. You know, body swapping. Had that Mister Bean fella in it. Not bad really."

The General opened his mouth again and closed it before saying the same words for the third time.

"So. The point is, they all needed to touch the thing again to swap back, but it didn't work right for a few times, shuffle, shuffle, shuffle" Jack smiled happily as his fingers danced in the air, "How many times did you let them touch it before you admitted defeat. I am guessing a little team like that must have quite a few variations. I'm sure Toshiko could give me the numbers."

"How…you have one" the General finally caught one, "You found the soldier we …lost."

"Lost. Yes. That's right luckily the others weren't" Jack smiled again, "You see, you have them in three different locations. Well, those still alive. Pity, some can't handle a situation like that. So. These three left over, I want them. You had them over along with the Daemon Ritus thingie and we'll consider the matter closed."

The General finally spoke.

"Over my dead body!" he roared, "UNIT soliders, UNIT tech!"

"Really?" a prim voice chirped from the speaker sitting in the middle of the table and the General glanced down with confusion, "General Frost, we do believe you left this little mishap out of your report as we had not heard of this until the Captain filled us in."

"Ma'am?"

"I expect a full report chop, chop. Oh and you let the Captain have whatever he needs to fix this, if it is possible with some of them dead. Unfortunate, lucky that they were pairs. One killed himself and the one who had swapped saw that there would never be a chance to return to their body so followed suit. Seems those left might still have a chance of shuffling to the correct body."

"Yes Ma'am" the General whimpered as he swallowed.

"Oh and Mister Jones?"

"Your Majesty?" Ianto bowed politely and the General realized there must be cameras as he looked around wildly, "thank you for that file. Please tell Miss Sato it was remarkably detailed."

Ianto hummed softly and then canted his head, the voice chance making the General start as the deep chocolate voice rumbled, "I live to serve. Please let me know if you require further assistance in understanding the item and its powers."

"What a lovely boy" she sighed and then a click ended her call, Jack swinging in his chair as Orin stepped forward to stand beside him, a hand falling on Jack's shoulder as Orin spoke again.

"Your kind have a name" Orin growled, "Necromancer. One who takes the souls of the dead. You are no better than the Daemon Ritus as Jack calls it. Only difference is, it is indestructible. You are not."

"I think he is trying to say that you are on thin ice there, Frosty Old Boy" Jack suggested happily, enjoying the growing alarm on the faces of those around the table, "I suggest you get those soldiers here quick smart before we test some of our own tech on you."

Orin's warm hand was calming, stopping the snarl that was forming and Jack returned to the smiley Cheshire Cat. Thank the gods Orin had recognized the symbols from the garbled memories of that poor soul. The item a plaything for children of a planet he had stopped at while Piloting.

"It looks like you ran afoul of something with wicked claws" Ianto said dreamily with his soft Welsh vowels filling the room with mirth.

Jack threw his head back and roared with laughter at the Cheshire Cat quote.

Yes.

The General ran afoul.

And he was silly enough to think it was Jack with the claws, not the one in the three piece suit smiling more like the Mona Lisa.


	13. Chapter 13

**13 SMUT AERT FOR THI CHAP!**

 **A03 Comments**

scoutbokmal- Yes, a wolf in sheeps clothing that Ianto Jones.

 **Kathy C -** I am always amused when people underestimate Ianto.

 **Dee -** Excuse me while I do a happy dance at the Queen's pronouncements! UNIT is in deep kimchee and had better walk a fine line. Those poor grunts deserved better and hopefully Jack, Ianto/Orin can help them at Flat Holm Island. Tosh is wonderful, as usual, and I'm glad the Queen sees it too. Whatever this thing is, though, Jack should notify the Doctor and get it off planet and away from unscrupulous hands, ie, UNIT.

 **Fan Fiction Comments**

Guest - Smut? Please? Jack has been a good boy

FranArian - Gotta love it when the pompous wankers get what's coming to them. Can't wait to see how things go once the artefact and the victims are in Torchwood hands.

SuziH-J - Ooh love Lizzie piping up when she did, wonder if the General knew she was listening in. And we know that Lizzie just loves Ianto.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSMMMMMMMMMMMMMUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTTTTTAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLEEEEEEERTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Ianto stood staring into space, his hair still dripping for the shower as Jack stood in the doorway of the shower block.

For a few long heartbeats they stared each other down.

Jack had no idea how to explain the unexplainable other than to admit what he felt went deep. Primal deep. Out of his control. He was ready to kill for him. Die for him. Dangerous.

"Screw it." Jack grabbed the bottom edge of his shirt and yanked it over his head then wrapped his hands around Ianto's neck and drew him to his mouth for a hard kiss. Tongue, teeth and lips mashed together as they fought each other for control.

His need to possess consumed him as he plundered the warm recess of Ianto's mouth.

Several minutes later he paused long enough for them to breathe.

Ianto shook his head for a moment before he stole another kiss by thrusting his tongue between Jack's lips for an exploration of his own. Tunnelling his hands through Jack's hair, he gripped the strands tight and tugged him closer. The pleasure of the kiss blew Jack away, licking at his skin until he believed it would burst into flame.

Maybe they were on fire, who could tell.

He wanted him and he wasn't about to fight the connection another second.

Thrusting against him, his cock begged for release. The fabric from his pants rubbed with Ianto's crotch to increase the friction against his sensitive skin, heating him further as a shudder coursed through his body. More skin. He needed to touch more of his skin.

Now.

He reached for the towel at Ianto's waist.

He clawed at the damn towel until it pooled at their feet. He trailed his tongue down Ianto's neck, his teeth nipping at the tender skin of his shoulder before closing his teeth around a firm nipple until he yelped.

Jack licked and sucked until Ianto melted against him. Everything about him filled his senses, his sweet taste and especially the heady scent of their arousals in the air between them.

Ianto's knees buckled and Jack grabbed him around the waist to steady him.

"Oh, God," Ianto whispered.

The heat of his words gave Jack so much more pleasure than he expected. Watching him writhe and whimper as he worked his flesh made him impossible to resist. When Ianto spread his legs a little further it was Jack's turn to whimper.

He swallowed each breathy sound as he slid a finger behind those swinging balls to the brush and slick the hole. He zeroed in on that most sensitive spot, smiling against his mouth when Ianto's hips rose to greet him.

Jack smiled and slid a finger inside him. His eyes got impossibly wider as a low wail filled the room.

"Goddess you're tight Tiger."

Ianto whimpered before reaching between them and pulling at the button on Jack's jeans. Jack grabbed his wrists and stopped him. After a warning look, he slid down in front of him so his head was level with Ianto's bare belly. For a few agonizing seconds he simply stared at the indentation, teasing him, before he leaned forward and swirled his tongue inside the tiny button.

"Not yet," he said. Seconds later, he flipped him around and roughly pushed him against the nearby wall as he slid a finger back in.

"Like that, baby?" He slid in a second finger and pushed deep. He sure as fuck did. He was fighting against the instinct to shove his cock in him instead of his fingers and ride him rough.

Jack pushed against the driving need. He wanted to draw this out more than that. Ianto's pleasure was paramount.

But this position...

He was facing the wall, which left his beautiful arse ripe for the taking. He couldn't pass up this opportunity to play. He traced his finger along the seam of his bottom, while his other hand worked his fingers in and out. Then he reached arond to grasp that wonderful swinging dick.

"This is mine," he said. He leaned forward and scraped his teeth between Ianto's shoulder blades. Ianto quivered underneath him while his heart beat wildly. The sound of his pulse pulled at Jack. The temptation he offered had Jack panting for breath as he tried to focus on getting air in and out of his lungs while his body vibrated with need. He grabbed Ianto's hair and pulled his head back so he could bury his nose in his neck.

Hot, sweet and slick.

He wanted him wrapped around his dick.

Ianto's whimpers turned to cries as Jack gripped the skin of his neck between his teeth and moved his fingers faster. His other hand now pumping Ianto's dick.

Ianto's climax was coming.

His muscles tightened a moment before he screamed, flying apart underneath him. Jack's body reacted, swelling to the point of pain. Jack breathed through the violence rising inside him. He squeezed his eyes shut and savoured the sensations surrounding him. When Ianto's wave peaked, he increased the speed of his thrusts, sending Ianto over the edge into climax once again.

It felt like flying, falling.

When Ianto's legs gave out, Jack lifted him into his arms and cradled him against his chest. Ianto clung to him as his breathing finally slowed and he went completely lax.

"You're so damned hot, I could watch you come all night. And your scent. Fuck, baby. I can practically taste your sweetness."

Jack stood to his full height, drawing Ianto's naked body against his still fully clothed form. He should have taken his clothes off but there was no time or patience for that now. Not when all he could think about was getting inside him.

Jack ripped at the front of his jeans until the button gave way and the zipper worked free. The spunk smell was now strong as Jack's pheromones filled the space from the soiled fabric. Small whimpers sounded in Ianto's throat as Jack jostled them in place. He distracted him by lightly scraping the curve of his neck with his teeth, further inflaming both their need.

Ianto didn't say a word, but the next thing he knew Ianto was turned to face him and wrapped around him as he was burrowing into Ianto's scorching heat.

"Fuck." He bellowed the word while pulling him down in one rough thrust.

Buried to the hilt he felt scorched alive.

He couldn't breathe and he couldn't move.

Mine.

It was the only word that made sense.

"Always Cariad."


	14. Chapter 14

Guest - Now to rescue the soldiers for a redjuffle. What uf one cant cos the other was a suicude? a wiman stuck in a man body? a new team member that sticks to ianto? jCk a bit jelous at first?

FranArian - Gotta love it when the pompous wankers get what's coming to them. Can't wait to see how things go once the artefact and the victims are in Torchwood hands.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyes…x

14

So, it took a while for UNIT to give up their prizes and it was without fanfare that they were delivered to the Plass and dumped there in the foggy morning air.

"Hello" Ianto said as kindly as he could, watching them all look around as if expecting more and he knew before Orin whispered it in the back of his mind. No one had told them there had been deaths. Ianto led them to the meeting room and let them settle, withdrawing to tell Jack who had been watching from his office. He had hoped having Ianto as first contact might help ease them, his own reputation might be a bit daunting. He stared at Ianto with disbelief as Ianto whispered it to him.

"What do you mean they don't know" Jack replied, "You mean….ah shit. We have vessels and souls that don't match?"

"I have a horrible feeling so" Ianto nodded as he watched his Captain pace. "I have to tell them, Owen should be on standby in case of hysteria. I feel there is at least one in there who seeks their body and can't see it."

They told Owen expecting his usual outrage and instead there was only sorrow, "Poor bastards. Shit, the wankers have had them in dark cages."

Ianto entered the room and chose a seat, followed by Tosh and Owen. The arrival of Jack made them all leap to their feet and Ianto waved for them to sit back down as Jack slid in to sit beside Ianto.

"There has been further injustice at the hands of your Commanding Officer" Ianto said calmly, "I believe you are unaware of the reason for the absence of some of your colleagues?"

"Yeah" a brassy woman said, her voice unusually deep, "I'm Lieutenant Daniel Monroe. Where the hell is Clifton!"

"Clifton" Owen said, touching the screen on the wall and an image appeared of one of the suicides, his face serene. "Harris and Merril."

Images of another man and a woman appeared n screen and a man towards the back made a strangle noise as he grasped at his throat with horror.

"Shit. Merril" the woman turned to the man, "I am so sorry Nancy."

"Bastard" he snarled stumbling to a chair, "So. What happened, he…just…killed me?"

"Nancy? Nancy Mereil" Orin said with a soft cant of his head, "The man who had your body couldn't handle the jibes and taunts of the others and took his life. Your vessel was…damaged."

"Where did your accent go?" the lieutenant leaned forward.

"I am Orin. Ianto's Pilot" he answered, "Ianto is my host. We live in this vessel together. We…coexist."

"Shit" the lieutenant sat heavily, his tits wobbling and he growled , "Fuck Annie, I don't know how you control these bloody air bags."

"What will I do?" Nancy asked as he sat as well, "I…I have no body to go back to."

"OK" Orin said calmly, "We have choices. This is not the end. Look, the vessel that your soul belongs to is gone but there is now a vessel now with no driver. You can take that."

"No"

"Pardon?"

"I hate redheads. Why the hell would I want to be one."

"I'll swap with you!" one leaned forward, "I hate being the youngest, looking like a bloody kid all the time. Swap. I like his body, all abs and tan. I always envied that body. I will give you my one, it is only twenty years old."

Nancy looked at him silently as Orin and Ianto agreed it was a good swap, Nancy had been in her early fifties, old by any standard and if not or her above average IQ and scientific degree she would not have made the team in the first place. A chance at a second go around?

"Deal!"

"So, we can't call you Nancy if you are changing to a male" Ianto's vowels startled them again then there was nervous laughter.

"No." there was silence, "I don't like Meril either."

"Nigel? Like Nance? Or Clancy?"

"Corny."

"Drew?" Ianto asked, "Nancy Drew? Still you?"

"Oh! I like it!" he smiled with relief, "Yes. Drew. Yes. I was called Nancy Drew at high school by my friends."

"Good, settled!" Jack slapped the artefact on the table, "Now…get to it and start swapping, once you have your own body step back."

Orin warned Ianto to step well back, as did the others and they watched the lightening bolts strike each person and cursing, more strikes, then a man staggered back with a look of relief followed by the large breasted Annie.

Three more and they all stepped back, Drew looking at his new hands with wonder.

"Right, you've been like this for a few weeks right?" Owen barked, "So you all want a good shit, feed and sleep in your own bodies again. Sorry Drew, I mean the rest of you will want to check yourselves for damage. No suing each other, ok?"

"Drew, perhaps you would like some time to acquaint yourself with your new vessel" Orin said kindly, "I find a shower to explore, then food to see the taste buds and their preferences is best. We can work everything else out as we go."

"I…I don't' know what to say" Drew said with open sorrow, "This is such a mess."

"Well, at least you aren't' the redhead, right?" Owen pointed out and finally Drew smiled.

"Yes Doctor Harper, there is that"

Ianto and Orin had a conversation that had Ianto eye rolling as Jack watched and waited, then Ianto addressed him.

"We can't give her back. They will not accept her and will examine her then play with her" Ianto said then frowned, "I apologise Drew, do you wish to be referred to as 'he' or 'she' that was rude to assume."

"I guess…I guess I'm a he now" Drew shrugged, "At least I feel more like a man with the weight in my pants. Shit, how do you contain these swinging things?"

"You were already in a male body" Ianto whispered and Drew rolled his eyes now.

"Like…pinkie. Ya know? Like…pimple." He screwed his nose up, "I had trouble learning to pee with it. Was best to sit down still."

Ianto looked at him and then threw his head back, roaring with laughter as everyone stopped talking to turn and look at them.

Jack looked at Owen and nodded, Owen huffing as he pulled out a file.

If he was about to add this woman…man into Torchwood's systems as a guest he better find out if the qualifications fit their team.

At least he knew one thing for sure.

He sure liked Ianto.

.

.

.

.

.

I was starting to think you had lost interest; yes I like the idea of one staying. Fresh blood.

What now? The jealousy in Jack? Or Ianto being kind helping Drew adjust to his new body?

Also, I do think they should be retconed before being given back so UNIT have nothing on them and don't find out about Orin. As Drew is staying to be a guest or team member fi we decide that, we let him keep his memories?


	15. Chapter 15

15

Fan Fiction

Yeedle - I like Drew and think he should stay. I think Ianto should advocate for him keeping his memories. I think Ianto would feel compassionate toward him and want to help him adjust to the new situation. Maybe it brings back memories of Lisa and since he couldn't save her he feels the need to help Drew? Jack feels jealous of the time Ianto spends with Drew but Ianto reassures him. I think Orin would talk to Jack and Ianto about there feelings for each other and helps resolve any tension between them.

FranArian - I'd say Retcon all around for those being sent back. Not for Drew unless he decides Torchwood isn't for him and wants relocated to like Australia or Iceland or something... then Retcon would be appropriate. Although... that might help him settle in the new body. What if Nancy already batted for the other team and prefers women, but kept that hidden so UNIT didn't have it to use against her? Use Retcon to take away the trauma of the weeks in captivity and a couple of months prior, then plant memories of being a full transgender who underwent re-assignment and was kicked out of UNIT. Ianto and Orin could likely help reinforce those new memories in real time if Drew stays on the team. I do believe Jack will get jealous if the newbie spends a lot of time with Ianto, not seeing that Ianto has no interest in anyone but him and that Drew's interest is purely in the company of someone who really 'gets' him. There will of course be an incident that brings Jack to his senses in a jarring and traumatic way, I'm sure... w

SuziH-J - Definite retcon, if UNIT found out about Orin/Ianto they would want to examine him. Think if Drew stays ok to keep memories, he has as much of a secret as Ianto so can't see him blabbing to UNIT (voluntarily anyway).

A03

 **Dee on Chapter 14 -** Keep Drew as a new team member. I would not want those people given back to their UNIT division after what they went thru. Retcon the others, relocate to another division in another country maybe, but Drew should stay, Ianto/Orin can help him adjust to his new life. Retconning Drew could be problematic; would it work? Jack needs to remember that hot shower he just took with Ianto/Orin and that Ianto is his.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmoving onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

It was a week later, the rest of the team had been shuffled away and Drew was now left with the choice of either going with them, or staying.

It hadn't taken him long to realise things could never be the same with the team, especially since the young man whose body she now inhabited had been treated like shit by the others…her included.

Drew was standing in front of the mirror knotting the tie as Ianto entered and slowed, frowning as he recognised it as one Jack had bought him and he hesitated, then decided it didn't matter placing down the shoes, "I think these are the right size."

"Thank you" Drew smiled, his young face still shiny from the shower.

"I will have to teach you how to shave soon" Ianto said softly, "But you seem clean shaven at the moment, they gave you an electric by the look of it."

"Yeah, itches" Drew wrinkled his nose, "But on the plus size I don't have to shave me legs anymore."

"Well, most don't" Ianto said calmly and Drew blinked, then snorted with mirth.

"I still have to get used to this new body, the last one was…roomier if ya get my meaning, but it is nice to see my feet…the dick is a surprise every time still too." Drew rambled as he fiddled with the tie and Ianto realised it was a defence mechanism.

Orin wanted to speak.

"All things take time and you must remember that all vessels are unique" Orin's deep voice purred, "To move to an entirely new concept, be it a sex change or species change, you should always give yourself time to adjust. It is normal to be frustrated and even disappointed. Things will work, you just need to give yourself a break if it takes time. I find a younger boy is harder because it doesn't have as many muscle memories. Older bodies have a gait, their joints more worn and it is easier to find a rhythm."

"The others, they made it OK?" Drew asked, glancing at Orin and it was Ianto who returned to answer.

"All there and enjoying the seaside" Ianto smiled softly, surprising Drew with the transition from one to the other, "The retreat is wonderful apparently. The Retcon took them back to your last mission before this mess. They believe you died along with those others missing and are mourning you. They accept they have been retired with honours and revel in fixing up the old hippy commune. I think they might have a great summer backpackers when they are all done."

"And no contact?"

"No. As per the exit packages they are happy with their new identities and as they keep most of their memories prior to the switching they will not break protocols, therefore will not break Retcon."

"We talked about it" Drew said sadly, "One day we would retire and move out there to do just that. Here I am, second chance to live a long life and I'm jealous now. Bastards won't even miss me."

"I am sure they will, at least…the old you" Ianto said softly "You can't think of yourself as that person now. You are Drew, you have to settle into that person. Look at it as a pervious life, this is a rebirth, a new one."

"Thank you for helping me" Drew said as they walked onto the main hub. Drew hooking his hand into Ianto's elbow.

Jack turned to watch and his face hardened as he saw the hand, making Ianto look down with surprise.

"That's something else you need to work on" Ianto said as he gently extracted the hand, "You are a man now. Not a woman and as such, you need to act differently and be accepted that way."

"God" Drew huffed, "I hate my hands. Look at the wrists. So big and hairy. Why do men have hairy hands?"

Ianto laughed as he pushed Drew gently on the shoulder and Jack's frown deepened.

"Come on coffee!" Ianto said.

"OK muffin" drew responded and Ianto sniggered as they left the hub and headed into the kitchen.

Jack stomped up to his office to stew.

Maybe he had been a bit hasty accepting drew into their team.

He liked Ianto a little too much for his liking.

.

.

.

.

Will Jack get over it? Or will there be a tantrum?

Will Jack do the whole, 'I'll step aside' thing and tell Ianto to be happy and he is free to choose, really pissing him off?

Or will he realise he has Ianto in his heart and vice versa?


	16. Chapter 16

16

Fan Fiction

FranArian -Knowing Jack, he'll likely blow a gasket and make Ianto feel bad, then do the martyred 'just nip off and shoot m'self, you be happy with the new guy' routine (which will also hurt Ianto as well as really piss him off), before something manages to shove it in his face that Ianto loves only him... Come on, it's Jack... if he didn't do the full drama queen, 'going to the garden to eat worms', 'I am utterly ALONE', 'everyone leaves me', personal pity-party, selfishly make Ianto feel like total shit number, it just wouldn't be him. He'll grow a brain eventually. It'll just be a misery for Ianto until he does... business as usual.

Schuneko - Jack should have to confront his own feelings. Alone or talking to Tosh or Owen.  
Depending on weather Drew is just trying to figure things out or actively pursuing Ianto. That should dictate how strong the confrontation will be.

Yeedle - Jack will throw a tantrum and then get over it. Ianto sets Jack straight on why he is helping Drew and calls Jack out for not doing more to help Drew. Jack has to admit to himself that his feelings for Ianto are real and struggles with telling Ianto the truth. Orin helps them move their relationship to a new level emotionally.

Brose10010 - Nah, Jack will invite Drew into a brief threesome, to introduce him to the joys of prostate massage. Then Drew goes on his merry way, and Janto are left to themselves again. Lol.

AO3

Dee - Boot to the head for Jack and his insecurities/jealousies! Drew needs a lot of help adjusting to his/her new reality. Ianto/Orin need to have a serious talk with Jack if he's going to act so petty. Drew's adjustment could be greatly affected by Jack's behavior. scoutbokmal -I agree. Ianto and Orin are Drews guides to his new body, and it would have a devastating effect (I suspect) if that support system was taken away from him, or greatly questioned and looked down upon as something else.

fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffineeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Ianto settled on the edge of the desk and wondered why Jack was so keen on a file about butterflies with pink feet, then he realised he was being ignored.

Really?

"Jack" Ianto said softly, "what's wrong. You aren't having second thoughts about Drew now, are you?"

Trust Ianto to hit the nail on the head like that, making Jack wince as he glanced up.

"Ianto, I…no. I know he needs you know and I just have to adapt" Jack shrugged, "Selfish. I can get over it, I know I can. He needs you and I know you and your need to help. No, it's ok. Just don't use our room, yeah? Just his? I don't want to hear it."

Ianto frowned as he tried to keep up with Jack, his anger growing as he realised Jack was giving him a pass.

"Can I have that in writing then?" Ianto asked politely and Jack looked up with confusion.

"If I'm to have a pass here, you know some hot sweaty sex without you getting all pouty and shit I need that in writing that it won't affect my yearly review" Ianto sipped his coffee as he watched Jack struggle with his temper behind the desk.

"Of course" Ianto continued as he lowered the cup, "The fact I only want anything resembling sex with you is besides the point right? Oh no, we have a new team member, best give him the real experience here at Torchwood, we'll have something try to eat him, another bite him up a wee bit and Ianto gives wonderful head ya know. Looks good in a suit doing it."

Ianto slammed the cup down sloshing the coffee over the side, rising from the edge of said desk to stalk form the room and he hesitated in the doorway, "You know what? You sit there all morose and thinking about eating your gun sometimes…ever stop to think I so too? Knowing I won't bounce back, I have tasted gun oil too! Nice to know I am expendable to you!"

Ianto slammed the door shut so hard the coat on the rack swung from the sonic wave.

Jack sat staring at the cup for a long time.

"You two having a tiff then?" Owen asked as he and Drew looked up from Owen's screen, "Did you starch his boxers again or something?"

"Fuck off" Ianto snarled and Owen let the hand controller from the game they were playing fdrop into his lap with shock, then he struggled from the chair to follow him.

"Oi, hey Tea boy, what happened?" Owen demanded, "Yan!"

"He…he fucking gave me a hall pass!" Ianto waved an arm wildly as he turned from the sink he had been furiously scrubbing for some reason, "Like Drew needs that on top of everything else. Hey, new body. Wanna try it out?"

Owen nodded and turned to head up to the office where Jack was still blinking at the cup.

"So? You wanted to watch?" Owen said as he flopped into the chair opposite, "Or was this you saying you didn't want to find them in a dark corner and look like a fool?"

Jack focused in him and opened his moth to tell him to fuck off but find himself agreeing, "Makes sense. Nice looking guy, seems smitten with Yan."

"And what about Yan?" Owen asked as he examined his boot sole, "He's not a stress relief ya know, he is actually a real live boy."

Jack snorted and then let his head fall to the desk top, "I'm a tool."

"Agreed" Ianto said from the doorway, "Is that true? You think I want to and you didn't want to be hurt so you make it OK?"

Jack shrugged, "Sorry. Just…I don't own you. I don't…."

"Don't what" Ianto demanded.

"Don't want to lose you" Jack slumped, "I…I need you."

"Oh Jack" Ianto sighed as he sat on the desk in the same spot as before, "Drew is confused, still a woman who is turned by a young man in a suit. There is still a need to learn transition. I would never act on it, neither would Drew. This is just a simple mater of clinging to the nicest one."

"You are the nicest" Jack agreed as he smiled weakly.

"Jack, you are the nicest for me" Ianto smiled as he slid over so his thigh was touching Jack's arm, "You are my cuddle bear. Always."

"Sorry" Jack whispered as he moved his arm to hug the leg, "You know I am terribly jealous. Even poor Andy gets snarled at for accepting your coffee."

"Jack, I will never…ever want to 'welcome' anyone else. I barely accept you going out to see others."

Jack looked at him with surprise, "I do not!"

"What?"

"Ianto, I've not been with anyone else since you accepted me" Jack said softly, "I am faithful. Honest, I might flirt and have fun, I love having fun but you are the only mate in my bed. Period."

Ianto's eyes widened as he stares at Jack, "What did you call me?"

"My mate" Jack shrugged, "You are, aren't you?"

"Yes" Ianto sputtered before seizing Jack's face and kissing him passionately.

"Fuck warn a man before that shit goes on" Owen complained as he rose to leave, "Bloody perverts."

Owen smiled all the way down the stairs, skipping don two steps at a time.

Nobody liked it when Dad and Tad fought.

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How's that then?

Thinking Drew wakes with his first woody and is too embarrassed to admit it to anyone except Owen who thinks its funny? Or it's Jack that walks in and finds him staring at it with horror in the shower?

Or is this where Drew admits to liking women, had been a lesbian? Jack feeling silly as he realises Ianto was never being lured away?

Or….is this where we have Drew meet Andy and we have fireworks gong off at first sight? Bring Andy in to this as the love interest? Ianto and Jack helping Drew with the whole 'gay' scene?


	17. Chapter 17

**17**

 **A03**

 **DomIantoRules** **-** Very well handled. Someone who is jealous out of fear of losing a loved one, especially when that fear has a reasonable base, like halving been abandoned by multiple loved ones in the past, needs to be handled with care and sympathy, not anger. Ianto quietly proving to Jack that he has no intention of having sex with Drew is just what their relationship needed. Having been shown that his fear is baseless, he can let it go and they can get on with their lives. If someone is afraid, it doesn't matter if the fear has no rational base, it's real to the person who feels it, and needs to be handled accordingly. Being met with with anger just makes the fear worse.

 **Scoutbokmal -** I feel like Dew would be like nonbinary/genderfluid for some reason. Kind of makes sense, started out as female, now in a male body.

 **Kathy+C -** OMG! Did Hell finally freeze over? Jack admitted that Ianto was his one and only so easily. If that had happened in the show I would have been elated but also terrified that it was a portend of the end of the world as we know it.

 **Dee -** ROTFL! I'm dying over here at the Dad and Tad bit. This part of the story is rich with discovery. Drew could have a "woody" in the shower and Jack could help educate him about his new body too, now that he's come out to Ianto how he feels. When he's not being stupid, Jack can be a great teacher; Drew will need a lot of support. Andy could be a great friend too, maybe not so much a love interest, but a great friend.

 **Fan Fiction**

 **FranArian -** I like option 2... Drew always liked women, and now just has to get used to encountering them in a male body...or a twist, in that 'she' always identified as male and it's just becoming comfortable in the body 'she' always wanted but was never brave enough to go through the medical process for. Although the first idea has come amusement potential as well. Evil fun!

rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrright-e-o thennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Drew was conflicted. I mean, this was something that she hadn't considered an option but had always admired in those strong enough to do so. To gender assign. Even as a little girl she had envied her brothers and their toys while staring at the dolls and frilly things with silent contempt.

Why did they get useful, exciting things she was not allowed to play with?

Now Drew stared at himself….yeah. Another adjustment. Him. Himself. He.

Drew blinked and let his hands stoke his taught chest, the tickle of chest hairs in his fingers wildly exciting as he knew this body could be bulked up, toned more and most importantly, these little breasts would not need get in the way.

He was a man.

How that hell did that happen, eh? So fast, everything so heated and at the time feeling so frantic and now…it was like a rebirth. Drew blinked as tears threatened and he stepped back so he could see more of himself, his…god. More than a handful. He knew all about dicks, had spent a lot of time admiring and pleasuring with them, though it was harder than you might think to find a partner willing to submit to a strap on and a crazy woman who only wanted to do 'back door' if ya know what I mean. It had made her a hard, no-nonsense and unaffectionate creature that looked for reasons to end relationships before they really started. None of them had felt right.

As his hands slid to his flat stomach and the little belly button he wondered what sex might feel like now, the sensations, those little nerve clusters in certain places and found himself getting quite…confused.

He looked down and found he was definitely more than a handful and his eyes widened as it….twitched.

"Ah, nothing like a morning soldier standing to attention is there" Jack said casually as he wandered into the shower block completely naked, "so nice to meet a fellow naturalist. Ianto scolds all the time like I might put an eye out with it or something. No like they've not seen me naked once or….heh heh…lots….You know, in my time we often don't bother with clothes as the body is not the thing of mystery it once was. After all, we all have to shit sometime, right?"

As Jack talked he fiddled with the taps and Drew gaped as he landed in to feel the water, his huge dick swinging low enough for Drew to imagine it might touch his knee.

SHIT

"Ah, nice and hot, Ianto doesn't like it this hot and it was a sweaty night so sometimes we shower separately, shame really I like morning showers with him but he's a bit tetchy. Didn't get a lot of sleep last night, the anniversary of Canary Warf coming up. He always has bad dreams and I think him and Orin wanted some alone time to talk it over. Orin still doesn't get that people are bastards, ya know?"

Drew watched that huge dick get an absent minded stroke as Jack felt the water again, then stepped in. He watched Jack lean back against the tiles and sigh as he seemed to …

"It's like milking a cow?" Drew said out loud and the hand stilled, Jack rolling his head to look at him then came the deep booming laughter.

"Different strokes for different folks, if ya get what I mean" Jack laughed, "I like it like this though. Squeeze as the base, then let the finger slide down and…ahhhhhh. Nice. Try it, pick a song you like and hum it, the tempo can help, that's how I learnt. An old song in my head that I could let my hand move to. Nothing wrong with pleasure Drew, we all deserve pleasure in our lives. Even if it's a quick tug in the shower. Fuck, life is short. It's good for you too, endorphins and shit. My little soldier is a greedy bastard like his Captain I'm afraid."

Drew considered and stepped under the water, momentarily startling Jack who laughed again as he realised this was how he was. Simply childlike with it all. He also saw how unfair he had been to Ianto thinking there was something between them. He saw it now. Drew was lost, looking for anything to tether to as he worked out his new world.

"that's right, try letting the heel of your hand touch the nob, then your little finger can ghost over the slit, that is like an electric shot if aroused enough" Jack offered, now watching Drew's face as he gasped under the spray.

Jack finally stepped out and wandered off dripping across the floor, back to his room where the bathroom door was open and Ianto stood under the lukewarm water staring into space, obviously communing.

Jack stepping in behind him and fingering him was lively surprise and after a moment of squealing and laughter, Ianto relaxed and Jack slid in to give his little soldier a mission, their panting and moaning soft as Ianto leaned back and exposed his throat, Jack kissing it as he held him against his chest and worshiped him inside and out.

"Drew was there, trying to work out how to tug" Jack said afterwards as Ianto washed shampoo out of his hair.

"Is he OK?" Ianto hesitated and Jack felt a swell of affection as he saw the nurturing man worry.

"Yeah, the hot water might be in high demand the next few mornings until he works out you can do it in the warmth of your own bed though" Jack sniggered.

"Aww, bless" Ianto sighed happily, "Our wee man had his first erotic experience."

"It is kind of like having a child, a big angry one" Jack blinked through his own shampoo. "Maybe if I look at it more like that I can stop being so bloody uncomfortable. It's not his fault, it's mine. He is innocent, so afraid and sweet. I see now love, I see. You will never see him as someone to take my place, I was silly and juvenile in thinking that. Sorry."

"I'm glad you see that now" Ianto smiled, "Drew is…Orin and I think Drew is gender fluid. I believe there was always a male aspect and now it's free there is confusion and maybe a little bit of fear."

"Well, don't worry" Jack assured his lovely Welshman as he breathed the crisp green apple air, "We can help him. I kinda like having a child with you. Our own baby boy, a healthy…180 pounds of bouncing boy."

Ianto laughed as he leaned against Jack and stole a kiss, "And will have your terrible humour I think given the quips lat night about the PJs I offered."

"Yeah?" Jack smiled, "Sleeps neckid!"

"Stop saying that, it's naked, not neckid" Ianto scolded, "Sounds like an alien race."

"The Neckids are taking over the world" Jack intoned as they dressed, pausing with one leg in his pants to glace over at the bare arse of his love, "The Neckids are everywhere love, you never know where a Neckid might appear next."

"Stop it!" Ianto's voice was muted as he still had his back to him but the mirth was evident in the shoulders shaking as he struggled not to laugh.

"Neckid hunting anyone?" Jack sing-songed as he pulled on a shirt, "Neckids hiding in the bushes, at your two o'clock, look out. A Neckid is behind you. Deadly things those Neckids."

Finally Ianto gave in and started to giggle, sitting until it passed as he knew as well as Jack he couldn't focus on his shoe laces like that.

Jack grinned as he won.

Neckids rule!

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Sorry, a bit silly at the end but totally Jack to see the chance for some silliness, especially after being a serious grup with Drew.

Do you think Drew is ready for field work?

Maybe a weevil in Bute park?

Something in the bay to be fished out with a gaff?

More bonding with the boys? Could be a good time to bring Andy into the story? Or a new character as a love interest?

Also, I think Ianto taking him clothes shopping could be kinda sweet…dressing him up? Or they argue because Drew isn't a suit wearer, more of a combat fatigues kinda guy?

What do you think? Proper gent? Or more UNIT still with black fatigues, maybe wants some flash?


	18. Chapter 18

**18**

 **Kathy C -** Yeah, can't really see Drew as a suit guy. More jeans, like Owen, I would think. But then he could surprise us.

 **scoutbokmal** **-** Oh god, Näcken is a water sprite in swedish (scandinavian?) mythology. There are many different versions, but sitting naked in streams playing the violin and luring unsuspecting victims in in order to drown them is very often present.

 **Hrothgar** Hmm- Maybe Drew and Rys? Wonder if Orin knows the Dr...?

Guest = Drew needs to find his own fashion. What if a fish n chip run turns into a qeevil hunt and drew gets to feel the strength of this new body

Lady Emma Wentworth - Oh yeah! When you're NAKED, you don't have any clothes on, but when you're NEKKID? You're up to something! Always been one of my favourite quotes!

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I feel abandoned SOB what has happened? Come on guys FEED ME

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Ianto was the first to notice a problem with their drizzly day meander across the Pass and down the side alley to the next street and the Fish 'n Chippy beyond the letter box.

"Drew, would you mind activating your coms and Telling Jack we might be a few minutes late" Ianto asked softly, "Tell him it's a big line or something."

"Why?" Drew asked…as I would. You would, right?

"Because he doesn't know if you are lying" Ianto snorted, "He knows my inflections now, I can't lie to him over coms."

Drew frowned but keys his coms, "Jack? We're a bit late, might be a while. A queue here."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Sorry" Drew winced and then waited as Jack sighed.

He wasn't falling for it.

"Just follow and try to keep up" Jack finally said and he clicked off, leaving Drew confused as he turned to talk to Ianto and found….nothing.

"Yan?"

Drew stepped towards an alley and heard a soft thump followed by a growl.

Ah fuck.

Drew considered calling the hub for help but then realised he was here. HE. Heh. Drew pulled out the taser and looked at it, then slid around a dumpster hissing Ianto's name. He peered around the next large dumpster and saw Ianto standing there in a combative position with a can of spray in his hand.

A weevil.

Shit, shit, shit.

Drew watched with horror as the weevil advanced and then he looked down at the milk crates, picking on up and hurling it at the creature's back. With a grunt of pain it swung and he realised he had now placed himself in its sights.

Ianto stood straight upright and threw a frown at Drew, then walked up to it and to Drew's shock Ianto punched it as hard as he could.

"Fuck!" Into spat, shaking his hand as e threw the empty spray canister at the weevil's head. "Bloody hell, the sprays aren't working, Owen has to change the consistency."

"Are you OK?" Drew asked and Ianto looked at him with surprise.

"Drew? Why are you not looking at the Weevil?"

Drew swung to find it way too close for comfort and he acted without thinking, kicking out and catching it in the crotch, finding great satisfaction as he yelped and staggered back.

It had thrown an arm out and Drew watched with horror as Ianto flew back against some garbage cans and crumpled in a heap in the trash.

Think.

Drew remembered his brother… older, bigger and a bully of a cunt.

Right.

Focus.

Drew crouched and ran at it as it stood over Ianto, seemingly surprised and as Ianto rolled to his hands and knees Drew was tackling the thing and it flew over Ianto to land with Drew in the same garbage cans Ianto had just climbed out of.

"Right! That's enough" the voice was not Ianto, Orin pissed as he grabbed the boiler suit and lifted the creature off Drew, heaving it into the dumpster behind him.

Dew shakily got to his feet and looked at Orin as he glanced back, then turned and started patting his pockets, "Slap me with a wet fish! Can you call for a clean up? I can't find our coms."

Drew called it in and then he found himself bending over to grab at his knees, the wind coming in short huffs as he had a wee bit of a panic attack.

"You OK there?" Ianto's voice, calm and soothing, "Bloody hell. Did it get you?"

"No, I just…" Drew laughed softly, "I just wrestled a bloody weevil."

"Did a good job too" Ianto smiled back, "Orin doesn't give praise easily and he tells me you are a keeper."

"Oh, er…ta" Drew spluttered, laughing as he tried to calm his pounding heart.

"It's just adrenaline, delayed shock" Ianto shot his cuffs and swore, "Goddamn it, I lost a cufflink. Shit a brick!"

When the SUV arrived both men were kicking garbage about and Jack stood back to watch for a while then called out, "You know, I know a lot of games all over the Verse but I don't recognise that one."

"It's called Find Ianto's Cufflink" Ianto snarked, kicking a can with force.

"Ahhhhh what ones were you wearing love?"

"My bloody teacups" Ianto huffed, "Ah bugger and piss!"

"Well, if we don't find it then you can match it to the cupcake one left over from the blowfish swim last month" Jack offered.

Ianto's glare told him he wasn't helping at all, nope. Decaf if he doesn't help.

Drew knelt in the garbage and looked dup as Jack hooked Ianto's hand for a soft squeeze as they searched.

Gods, what a great day.

Drew had never felt so alive.

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Come on guys, give me something. What can happen next?


	19. Chapter 19

**Dee -** Drew needs a refresher in combat training, which Jack could help with (left comment in previous chapter-I didn't see chap. 17), His fighting instincts are good but his muscle memory as a fighter is rusty. This IS a different body "she" has to get used to. More Torchwood missions will help build him up.

Yeedle - I feel like we need some more emotional drama. Maybe something that puts Orin at risk and by extension Ianto...a virus? How would that affect, Jack, Drew and the rest of the team? How would Orin and Ianto deal with the risk? Orin realizes how much he likes being a part of Ianto and Torchwood. Ianto feels lonely as Orin gets weaker and goes virtually silent for awhile.

FranArian - A Weevil hunt is good, but Drew needs something that will really test him, let him know for sure if Torchwood is really what he wants. We need a mean, ugly incident...team's split up during it, so he really needs to step up...he seems to respond best to Ianto/Orin...so if something bad happens to Ianto (enough to keep Orin super occupied and scare the crap out of even Jack), Drew is the one who has to handle the situation...get him free, get him help, get rid of the danger...whatever it takes. It's all on him. And he'll either make it work, or the others will have to swoop in at the last minute to rescue them both and he'll be forced to decide if he can handle the Torchwood life or not. I want anxt, blood and violence, sweetie! W

pmw- We haven't heard from Rhys. Him and Drew would be nice - them finding each other, surprise big time for Rhys being attracted to a guy, Drew working out how it all works (giggle)

…cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccooooooooooooooooo…..

So tht gave me two chaps worth, giving them both to you as one post.

….CONTAGION…

Flood lights illuminate a huge C5A transport plane waiting on the runway, its nose cocked open exposing its innards to the pouring rain. Several Unit men rapidly wheel equipment into the open hatch. A private pushes a dolly loaded with boxes with the Torchwood cross emblem up the ramp.

Owen is directing them as he keeps an eye out for the rest of the team, he hopes like hell Ianto can find all the gear he requested and a small voice tells him Ianto would not let him down.

A private grunts and pushes the dolly slowly up the ramp. Owen lends a hand, and the two of them run it up the ramp.

Drew clambers up the ramp, dressed in a Unit style uniform but with a deep crimson flat jacket that reeks of Ianto.

"Where the hell's the rest of them?" Owen demands and Drew shrugs.

"Still coming, apparently Ianto stayed back to gather the last of the gear" Drew explains, "Jack is doing a drop and run with this lot to then go back for them then Ianto will return the SUV to our base."

"We need him now! Who's going to read the electron micrographs?" Owen demands with open annoyance then starts as the team bursts from the darkness carrying bags. "Strap in."

"Anything I can do to help?" Drew asks as the huge jet engines come to life. Tosh, Jack, and Andy climb on board and strap themselves into the row of jump seats along the fuselage. Drew is filled with the excitement of a young kid who can't believe his luck: a real First Contact Moment…well, apart from Orin and for some reason he doesn't count.

Have you ever seen Berio-Virus infection in a human being?" Owen demands with open glee.

"No, sir." Drew shakes his head, leaning forward as Owen's hands start to animate, showing his level of wonderment, "It's about as pretty as going naked to feed Janet!"

"Whatever it is, I can handle it." Drew says with a naive stubbornness.

"I hope so, because if you can't, you'll make a mistake. You'll be holding a needle and it'll slip. Or your glove will have a crack in it and you won't notice. You work with Berio-Viruses, it's like working with plutonium. A single drop of blood can hold six billion... That's more Berio-Viruses than there are people in the world. You get a single one of those inside you, you're infected. Say you're lucky and it's one of the few Berio-Viruses we have antiserum for. Then we can treat you and you'll probably live. But say you're unlucky. And you get one of those Berio-Viruses we don't have an antiserum for, which is most of them. There's no medicine, no cure, nothing we can do to help you. Your body gets so hot, your liver, your kidney, all your vital organs melt, and your skin turns into tapioca pudding." Owen gives the speech to stunned silence.

"He means chocolate pudding." Jack calls out jovially and Owen grins back at him then points out the half raised ramp into the black beyond.

A figure carrying a duffel bag is sprinting toward them at incredible speed, like a ghost through the pelting rain. Without breaking stride, he leaps the four feet onto the plane and slides to a stop right in front of Jack. He steadies himself "Sorry Sir, you know I can't sleep at a strange facility without me eye mask and ear plugs. Owen is just too horrific in shared quarters."

Drew smiles slowly. He likes Ianto.

The wheels come up with a THUMP.

The giant jet shakes and rattles and soars into the air.

They settle for the flight as Jack hands out what satellite photos they already have of the crash site.

The ship looks mostly intact.

Drew doesn't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing.

He can't wait.

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Tosh slips the clear helmet over Drew's head. He is covered from head to toe in BL-4 bio-safety suit. Ianto, dressed the same, looks on, amused.

Drew is starting to panic "How do you breathe in here?"

"With a respirator" Jack laughs through his own helmet "Positive pressure's what you want. Keep those buggers out."

Tosh flips the switch on Drew's respirator, which sucks air out of the atmosphere, filters it, and pumps it into the suit. He starts to swell up like a balloon. Drew snorts with amusement, "And I thought it was a hassle wearing a tie all day."

In the distance, we see the crash site in which numerous houses are burning. The small village has been obliterated.

"We got a lot of equipment. You're gonna have to get us in close." Jack tells the Unit soldier suited as well, already behind the wheel of a topless jeep.

"I... I don't want to get no disease, sir." He responds nervously.

"Then don't kiss me, Sergeant." Jack replies cheekily as the team climbs aboard, Jack reaching out to steady Ianto and he lets his hand rest for a moment or two.

"Drew" Owen calls out and once more gives a speech he must have rehearsed in his head on the flight over "if you fail to observe strict decontamination protocol, three things can happen. First, you can be fired. Second, you can die from this horrible disease. Third, and worst of all, you can incur my displeasure. You got it?"

"Yes, Owen"

"If one of us gets sick, we all get sick. And I didn't come here to die." Owen turns to look ahead as the Team approaches the village through the smoky haze in an old Volkswagen van.

"You're too late." A man calls out angrily as he strides towards them

"We immobilized as soon as we could!" Jack replies as he looks towards the village with sagging shoulders.

"It wouldn't have mattered when you came. This one is different -worse than Lassa, worse even than Ebola. It strikes and kills so fast. The young, the healthy, everybody." The man responds, "There was one survivor. He died three hours ago."

Owen moves ahead to the next bed and pulls aside the thin mosquito curtain to inspect the patient. Drew is right behind him. "Ahhhh shit."

"If ya gonna puke…don't. You can't take off the mask and it gets pretty uncomfortable full of puke" Owen mutters as he bends down to examine the villager.

The corpse's eyes are yellow and his flesh, speckled with haemorrhages, looks like pulp. Blood oozes from his nose and his nipples. Drew turns away in horror. "I'm gonna be sick."

Drew takes deep breaths to control his gut as Ianto takes his place next to Owen, "If anyone got out, they are dead, or will be soon. And if they have spread the disease, we will know rather quickly. "

"Our only hope is that this is like most viruses and that it has to live in a host, an animal, to which it's adapted over thousands of years. And that host has developed antibodies to protect itself against the virus. If we can identify the antibodies, we can use them to fight the disease in humans."

"Is it airborne?" Ianto is checking the PDA in his hands as Tosh sits primly on a crate working as well.

"I don't think so" she finally replies "But I have been scanning the area and …there are no signs of life in this valley. Either they were all at church and killed when it fell on the centre of town or something has wiped them out."

"So…What now?" Drew asks as he watches Ianto grimly zip open a body bag to reveal an alien being with sponge-like looking burnt orange skin, then lift a limb for Owen, his groan of disgust echoing in the coms.

"I go we nuke it from space" Jack says calmly, "We shake n' bake boys."

"What?" Drew looks up with surprise, "What do you mean?"

"We take samples then evacuate and we …nuke the site from orbit….as in a controlled blast that will cleanse this valley from ridgeline to ridgeline. Unit's problem" Jack explains calmly, "This time tomorrow there will have been a terrible natural gas incident or something."

"All those people…." Drew began and Jack waved a hand, his face a picture of sorrow through the face plate of his mask.

"Drew, they are all gone. Almost three hundred souls already gone." Jack sighs softly, "We must contain it now."

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So…..This is where Ianto is somehow contaminated? Orin must heal him but maybe can't? Owen must work on that vaccine he was bragging about? Drew was contaminated as well but for some reason doesn't get sick and they don't realise until the suits are checks to see how Ianto was got? How was Ianto infected? Hmmmmmm….lots of thoughts here.

What do you think?


	20. Chapter 20

**Eleana666** **-** Awwww, NO! Don't infect Ianto! Let him be the special one that is not infected because of immunities build up through intimate association with Jack! Maybe they could hear the squeal of an infant or detect a flicker of life sign just before they blow the village all to Hades. Against Jack's orders, Ianto rushes in and saves the baby. Ianto gets over the ridge just in time with the infant. Ianto protects the child with his body and is severely injured but eventually recovers. The baby never contracts the virus. Jack and Ianto raise the baby as their own.

…..ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

With Fan Fiction being on the fritz at the moment it looks like this may be all I have to go on. HOWEVER….snort….it is more than enough.

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

20

They are packing up as the countdown urges haste.

Tosh is still scanning desperately despite all the information and her hand hesitates as she looks at the screen "Jack? That small heat sig that was classified as a dog by Unit…it's still there. Why hasn't it moved on the last two hours?"

"Maybe it's shut in?" Jack wonders as he leans over her shoulder to look, as does Ianto but it is Orin who answers.

"An upstairs room, most likely a bedroom. Would you not shut such a creature in a downstairs room? What is small and kept in a bedroom of an afternoon when….." he is moving and Jack looks up as the bright orange biosuit disappears from the tent and Jack suddenly knows what he is doing.

"Orin, no. We have no time, get back here!" Jack yells as he struggles after the fleeing figure and everyone turns to watch the strange sight of two large balloon men running.

"Jack? You guys ain't go back to the village ya know, that flight is incoming" Owen calls out as he also see where Orin is heading, then the coms crackle.

"BABY" Orin screams with horror, "Oh gods, oh gods, please be in a double glazed house, gods."

"Ianto…hey, er Orin, the moment you break all the seals…hey even if it is then how do you carry it out, the air!" Owen is now frantically pulling up the flight ETA, cursing as the two men disappear into the village, running like cut cats.

The baby is crying and can be heard from the street, poor thing probably starving and terrified. The body laying by the letterbox must be the mother, a small child on a swing set at the side of the house still handing the chains with black coated fingers slows Jack as he tries to tell himself there was no way to save them.

"Jack!" Ianto barks at the door, "It's sealed. Fuck, it's a smart house. Sealed."

They look at each other, the problem now how to save the baby from what is approaching above.

Jack knows, as does Ianto and they push in, Ianto heading for the bedroom as Jack sits on the arm of the sofa and carefully opens his biosuit, looking up as Ianto races for him with the baby in his arms. A toddler of about 18 months or so wrapped carefully in a blanket so Ianto's suit does not touch and the baby is shoved into Jack's suit, Ianto closing it as Jack adjusts the bindle so he can carry it with his arms now inside the body cavity as well, the sleeves left the dangle.

"Ianto, chances are that this wee one is contaminated" Jack warns, "Might only be slight but just us entering his space caused it"

"At least he has a chance" Ianto replies, "We can give him a little more time for Drew and Owen to do their jobs"

"Speaking of time" the coms are raw with Owen's fear, "Any change you two can leg it?"

They run like the hounds of hell are following and I suppose they are. The pale rider sits in his jet fighter, Death strapped to the fuselage and the countdown is now just double digits.

"Fucking move yourselves!" Owen screams with fear as he sees the jets in the distance and watches the two orange blobs approaching, the one with an abnormally large chest and stomach has arms flapping about like a discarded scarf. Owen guesses the reason and curses and he races for the de-com showers but it is Drew that grabs his arm.

"No! We must maintain distance" he warns, "You and I are what is most necessary right now. You and I are the important assets. We cannot put ourselves in the quarantine zone."

Owen stops struggling and watches morosely as Tosh now runs with her arms full of towels and the two men disappear into the showers.

"I know what you are saying but if you ever keep me from them again I will fucking shoot you" Owen says emotionlessly to he pulls his arm from Drew's and Drew pats his shoulder now.

"It's OK. If you did not feel that way you would be not friend at all." Drew is the teacher now and must remember to act like it, even in this young body there still resides a professor, "Use it, focus that drive to find a way to help them all. This is not contained. You know that as well as I. The animals that fled…the wind blowing easterly….It is now freeforming and we must act."

Owen turns to look at Drew and nods, also hearing the knowledge in his words.

The real work has just begun.

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Ianto is asleep against the window in the back row of the plane.

A plastic sheet separates him and the baby from the rest of the team, Jack's reset in the showers ala Webley means he is not contaminated but Ianto knows that the baby in the small containment box without the lid on is. Must be. The suit is difficult to sleep in and he is only slightly dozing, the worry of the baby now thumming as well.

A loud thud makes Ianto bolt up, and look groggily at the Team still compiling as they head away from the zone. The thud was the noise of the explosion and the plane lights up momentarily before descending into predawn darkness.

Ianto feels terrible. His eyes are red and he's having trouble swallowing. He grabs his pillow and blanket and gets up.

"Where d'you think you're goin', mister?" Jack jokes and Ianto grimaces.

"Told you I was going to get a chill out in that bloody rain" He goes to the back of the plane where it's deserted, and lies down across three seats. His body shakes with a chill. He pulls the blanket tight against his chest.

"You sick?" Owen asks as he moves to the plastic sheeting to peer in at him, "Protocol…"

"Fuck off Owen!" Ianto snipes and Owen rolls his eyes as this is the normal bullshit after Ianto has to do a night run. Always with the dramas that one.

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Still dressed in the biosafety suit Owen is opening one test tube after another, expertly withdrawing from each only a tiny sample of the virus, then putting it into a large test tube. Suddenly the air lock opens and Drew enters. Drew places the test tube into a clear plexiglass container which is contained within a large plexiglass container, each with its own combination lock. He twirls the tumblers. The locks snap into place.

They peer at the video monitor hooked up to the electron microscope. Drew flicks a switch on the console to change the magnification. The fuzzy brick-like structures are computer enhanced and enlarged to razor-sharp crystalline structures that look like huge ominous steel balls climbing up the sides of thick pillars.

"There's our guy" Drew points out.

"Ugly bastard, isn't he?" Owen huffs as he tried to hide his admiration for Drew's quick work. "I wouldn't let him date my sister."

As the image comes into focus the screen shows a wavy purple outline of a cell.

"The blood tests." Drew points to the different screen as he speaks, all that learning finally bearing fruit that Unit could never cultivate.

"Normal is this -pure purple. But if you're infected..."Another image fills the screen "the field is filled with wide patches of red circles."

Jack and Owen each peer into the scope. Jack then looks over at Drew and asks "If you're red, you're dead. Is that what you're telling me?"

"That's right, Captain" Drew nods, "But the rest of my hypothesis is just a quickie; I haven't had time to refine it. There are false negatives, purples that should be red. I don't know why yet."

"How long to fix it?" Jack demands.

Drew can't answer how long that length of string might be "Hard to say."

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Tosh is outside the containment room watching Ianto check the seals and close up for the day, still jetlagged and snotty from the midnight run from hell.

He doesn't look good, his face is flushed and sweaty, his eyes glassy. He turns the "Open" locking mechanism around to "Closed" and locks the door then leans against it wearily.

"I know it was a bust but we got a lot of good stuff" Tosh was arguing, "The samples are making Owen more excited than the time he superglued Gwen's chair. If we can… Are you okay, Ianto?"

"I'm fine, Tosh... it's hot. That's all. Gotta get back to the Baban, bloody hate this suit though. Fuck, so hot. Lemme open a win…." Suddenly his face twitches, his body stiffens, his eyes roll back and he falls to the floor, convulsing violently.

Tosh screams.

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Drew carefully withdraws a syringe of clear liquid from a rubber capped bottle labelled "DNA PRIMER." He mixes this into a blood sample from a team member. At the bench, Owen is doing the same. Drew looks under his scope. The field is filled with red circles. "Positive."

He takes another tube of blood from a different patient. Looks under the scope. "Positive."

Owen looks under his scope. "Positive".

"The whole fucking team's infected."

A sense of despair descends must as the fucking bomb did.

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OK, so…my train of thought here…..

The baby is contaminated as well, they all are right? But Jack is not from this time so what if he was just identified as contaminated too. The WHOLE team. So they would keep recontaminating him right? What if he is the answer? He gets a wee bit sick, then better. Drew is the one to notice and test him, finding him clear with anti-bodies now and it is Jack that saves them?

I am horrible I know but I do want a bedside scene with Ianto and Jack. Ianto croaking for the baby, Jack lying that the baby is fine.

Do I kill it off? Does it live?

How sick do we want? Ianto might have died if not for Orin? Fear that it might have cost Orin too much? Blowing Ianto up was going a bit far and I am mean enough to prolong the sickness side…but what if there is a side effect from the sickness? Like nerve damage or something? Hearing loss or visual? Too mean? Ianto can't feel his body like a disconnect and needs Orin to drive it? We could then have rehabilitation as Orin and Ianto work together to try and find a way to both be present at the same time?

I like the idea of Drew being the hero here, and of course Jack and those 51st Century genes.


	21. Chapter 21

**Kathy+C -** First off, don't you DARE kill that child. Ianto would never forgive you if you did. Second, don't you think you're being just a bit dramatic with wanting a "death bed" scene. I know, I know, it's your story. And though I may complain, I always come back for more…..Just remember... DON'T KILL THAT BABY!

FranArian - Don't think the baby would survive long enough for an antidote to be made...sad but true. As for Ianto...let's go back to the original stroke idea. Nerve/brain damage is normally irreparable, so it'll definitely take Orin some time (with physio assist) to clear it...I would go for total left sided paralysis, with corresponding visual deficits, complicated by periods of intense neuralgia (nerve pain) in all four limbs, possibly respiratory distress if the misfiring nerves occasionally shut down his diaphragm to some degree...or the virus shows a hemorrhagic factor that causes bleeding in the lungs (could be it caused a brain bleed, hence the stroke and resultant deficits). He's going to be semi-helpless and in a lot of pain as Orin tries to sort him out. No quick fix, even with Jack's genes providing an antidote. Doesn't so much 'cure', as just halt the progression of the virus and allow the generated antibodies to purge it from the body...but any damage already done is permanent (unless you have a Pilot that can slowly reverse it). Evil enough for you? ;}

Wweeellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

Kill the baby….don't kill the baby…dramatic or not dramatic…..gods decisions, decisions…..Heh heh

21

Jack storms out. Drew remains unruffled as he works diligently in a bubble of calm.

Jack bursts into his office and slams the door. He grabs the glass paperweight off his desk and throws it against the wall. It shatters. He stops. A moment of hesitation.

He picks up the phone to inform her majesty that Torchwood is in lockdown.

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Drew looks at Ianto, lying in the bed, eyes completely yellow and lifeless, face and body covered in black-and-blue splotches. His chest rises and falls in short gasps. The baby went downhill in the night and it was both a relief and a horrific shock to learn that Torchwood has cryogenic units. Drew knows that if he fails, they all die.

Like….no pressure there, right?

At least the baby is safely encapsulated and if he does fail, maybe the next team can….who is he kidding. Jack has already explained to the team that he will blow the place with their bodies in it before giving up the secrets of this base. Drew has a strange feeling that Jack would stay down here with them, cradling Ianto until the end.

Tosh stands at Ianto's bedside. She's getting sick too: pale, sweating, starting to cough, but she's more worried about Ianto, who's barely conscious. The scarlet hemorrhagic rash can be seen on his cheeks. Jack is shocked at how far gone Ianto is and knows Orin is working overtime in there as he struggles to keep Ianto alive.

Suddenly Ianto starts convulsing and Drew runs over as Owen shouts "More Valium. Quick."

"We're out." Drew yells, "Shit. Where's the crash cart?"

Owen nods to an auto mechanic -style tool cabinet in the corner. Drew starts for it, but Jack's already there. He punches off the plastic lock, rips open a drawer and grabs a small box labelled Valium. He flips it to... Owen, who in a second, pops it open, pulls out the syringe of Valium and shoots the yellow liquid into Ianto's IV.

He stops seizing.

They are exhausted. No need to hide it as they sit blearily staring at each other and they try to pretend they want the sandwiches offered. Jack is the first to speak, "Ianto is dying."

"I'm doing all I can" Drew answers, poking at a sandwich.

"I'm not doubting that" Jack yawns and stretches, then coughs and sighs.

"You were looking better this morning" Drew says as he eyeballs Jack, "Now you feel sick again?"

"I ….reset in the night" Jack shrugs, "Re-contaminated myself when I came back up here to you guys."

"You shot yourself? Thought I heard a thump" Owen snorts, "God. Ianto hates when you do that shit. I hope you cleaned up your mess, he will have your guts for garters if he gets through this to find a blood splattered shower cubicle."

Drew stares at him as Owen starts to talk about the day ahead and the things that might be done to find more answers, Drew blinks and looks at Owen with confusion then back to Jack, "Wait. A reset means you were not contaminated anymore?"

"Nope" Jack frowns, "anyway. It's just like the flu for me. My 51st Century biology is fighting it from getting as bad as it will for you."

Drew blinks and stares some more.

"Jack. You are creating antibodies." Drew points at him as Owen stops talking, "Shit. Shit. Wait. We need…..wow. Jack, we need some blood to look at. If the antibody is effective, you could use it as a template. Maybe you could save us."

Beat.

"What?" Jack asks quietly in the too silent room.

"If we can get blood, create a template, you reset and are pure once more, then you re-infect so we have bloods to see the differences, I can narrow down or even seize your antibodies." Drew explains as simply as he can, his hands starting to flap excitedly, "Shit, we try it on Ianto, if Orin can sift through the final bits we can't get…within a few hours or so we could have a fucking serum."

"He's right" Owen nods, "Tosh?"

Tosh doesn't answer and they look down the end of the room to find she had slumped over at the end of the table.

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"I understand" Orin croaks with obvious pain, "I am doing all I can to keep Ianto contained, if we can stop the onslaught I might be able to create the rest of what we need. It is risky but…I know we have little choice."

"If you can't….I want to have Ianto back" Jack said softly, "I know it hurts but he would want to be aware at the end. He needs that."

Tosh lies in the bed next to Ianto, both still apart from the chest movement as the machines work, Owen's hands shaking as he takes more blood.

Jack sits between them, the blood on the collar of his shift showing his reset and he sits watching both of them intently.

This has to work.

Then Drew appears in the doorway holding a large plastic bag of antiserum. Drew moves to hand it off to Owen who connects it to Tosh's IV and the brown fluid flows into Tosh. He sits down beside her. A long beat. Then he touches her face gently. "Hold on Tosh."

Tosh lies with antiserum running through her IV's. Owen's eyes are blood-shot as he watches her intently. He sneezes and sniffles. Jack stares toward Ianto, still so still.

The bag of antiserum is empty as it hangs by Tosh and Jack stands between the beds with a sense of hopelessness.

Owen reaches for Tosh's hand. Her finger twitches.

Beat.

Her eyes open.

They are clear of the virus' yellow hue.

She blinks and then softly smiles up at Owen.

Drew slumps with relief.

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OK? Dramatic without weeping scenes? Hmmmmm…..that baby though. Has to wait until Ianto is stronger, he was the sickest of the lot of them, refusing to leave that baby.

So….

I like the lingering recovery idea. Thinking, either Ianto too weak and Orin has to take control or Orin used too much and Ianto is left like a stroke victim again? I think maybe Tosh oesn't bouce back either, Owen fussing as he makes her rest on the sofa….fluffing that makes her blush? Him panicing that she is sick again? Tells her how much he loves her?

Jack can show some gentle attention to Ianto now? Both couples strengthen their relationships?

Drew finally accepts his body and realises this was what he always wanted? To safe someone else?


	22. Chapter 22

**Kathy+C -** I like your idea for Drew. For Ianto, if you must, have Orin take over as Ianto's body is healing, but I BEG you to let both him and Tosh fully recover. I will understand if you force a long recovery. I won't like it but I will understand. As for the baby, using both Jack's blood and what he learns from Tosh and Ianto, let Drew come up with a better serum that lets him fully cure the little one. I'll understand some physical difficulties, maybe a permanent physical handicap, but nothing life threatening. Either way, you know that I will keep reading.

 **scoutbokmal** **-** I think a completely full recovery would be unrealistic for Ianto, even with Orin; maybe just a joint that acts up/aches slightly in certain conditions. Nothing that would (in the long run) put him off field work.

FranArian - Lingering recovery for Ianto (need some drama to keep things lively, and Jack will love fussing on a stroked out Ianto...will take time as Orin over-taxed just to keep him alive, and will then have to slowly work through the residual damage after a good rest to recover first himself)...Tosh lucky enough not to have the severe damage Ianto suffered (no seizures means no brain damage before the serum was used), but finds her stamina is nil and scares Owen with a collapse because she tries to be business as usual. Drew loves the whole 'saving people' thing but may have to seriously consider if the best fit is Torchwood 3, or a research lab up near T2 and Torchwood House (prime access to all the Archives and a good deal of useful alien tech) that he could choose his own team for, a group to be on stand-by as back up if T3 needs more bodies for something big. And I'm sorry, but realistically speaking, that baby would not have survived...it was already exposed before they rescued it...if the virus did such terrible damage to Ianto, an infant wouldn't stand a chance. Cryo just means it didn't die during the Hub crisis, waking it up would likely be just to have it die anyhow. So...wake it to die, or leave it frozen (like Grey in the series)...maybe in the far future there's a cure or something.

Ooooooooooooookkkkkkkkkkkkkkcccccccccccccconflictttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt?HHHmmmmmmmmmmm

Ianto was watching Jack as he moved around the room, the pounding in his head easing as Orin soothed as best he could. They were both suffering as the machines hummed softly.

"Tosh goes into the room we set up for her today" Jack said softly as he finally sat, stopping the room from spinning as Ianto focused on him, "She is walking to the toilet and back, Owen is so pleased with her."

Ianto anted to ask about the baby but something held him back so instead he reached up to tap the oxygen mask and Jack lowered it for him, leaning in close.

"You?"

Jack smiled softly, trust Ianto to worry about him when all those around him combusts.

"I'm missing those vowels" Jack choked out, "But it's OK. We're getting there."

"How, Owen?"

"Right here" Owen said as he entered, his face pale and gaunt showing the hard work he had been putting in, "Drew is still with Tosh doing some massage therapy. We are all OK here mate. Wanna know how we did it?"

"Yeah"

"Well, by taking Jack's blood when infected, then after a reset we were able to isolate the virus by comparing the two samples at the molecular level. Drew is a bloody natural. Anyway…we then had him reset and we took some more blood, we gave you a blood transfusion so…"

"How it?"

"Huh?"

"He means how much" Jack said softly, "His words are twisting on his tongue. He wants to know how much blood you took from me. I see your face, I know your thoughts love."

"How….fuck!"

"Temper, temper" Owen snorted, "15 or 16 pints?"

Ianto paled and a machine started to beep incredibly fast as Jack tried to soothe him and he glared at Owen, "Did you really have to tell him?"

"He asked" Owen said calmly, "He bled out a few times or you, apparently he wanted to die a few more, got pissy when I told him you were going to have my balls as it was. So, you wanna hear or not?"

Ianto growled softly in his throat, then closed his eyes and let the soft touch of Orin soothe, a relief to feel him again.

"Right. So. Anyway, as I was saying, giving you the complete blood transfusion with Jack's altered DNA gave Orin a short time in an almost uninfected body. The pure strain was able to be recognised apart from the mutated one and Orin was able to fight it as any alien being with healing powers would."

Ianto continued to blink slowly.

"When you started to rally, I …OK, Drew took your blood and checked it, found antibodies. Made a serum and I wanted to use it on myself first but Tosh…she is smaller than you and so delicate. I took a punt and used it on her, then as she rallied the antibodies showed in her system too." Owen grinned as he sat on the edge of the bed, "And then…I was able to treat all of us. The antiserum is now available if there were any breached in the quarantine."

Ianto nodded to show he understood, too damned tired to voice it and Owen rose, "Right. Rest. You're stuffed. Orin took almost all he had to fix this, if not for Jack's advanced DNA and spark of 'whatever' helping your worm you would have karked it on me. Then we would all have gone."

Ianto's eyes fluttered shut and Jack stroked his face with open concern.

"He will be fine, needs rest" Owen said softly, "Just like Tosh, there will be some residual effects but we will deal with that as it arises."

"I know, doesn't make it any easier to see him to bloody fragile…not Ianto" Jack sighed.

"Have you seen Orin?" Owen asked with worry, the alien being not talking to them since it all went down, "Anything?"

"No, but I saw a glimpse in his eyes when he first woke" Jack assured him, "I think he is just as tapped out as Ianto is."

"Well, I'm going back to Tosh now" Owen said as he turned to leave and Jack watched him leave with a soft smile, Tosh receiving the best treatment possible as Owen fussed gently.

Rhys had suffered as well, unable to help and forced to leave the hub before they infected him as well upon their return, he had twisted in the wind as he waited topside in the tourist centre to see if his friends made it or not. Now things were settled, he was back in the Hub and fussing like a mother hen.

"Come on Drew, you must be hungry" he insisted and Drew looked up from the microscope as the large sandwich floated into view, it was like a major construction that required a hard hat and Drew found that he was rather hungry.

"Thanks Rhys" he smiled as he accepted the sandwich and Rhys nodded happily as he went back to check the soup simmering on the stove. Chicken broth.

Well, Ianto had to start with something light right?

Rhys was on the job.

Ianto rested in the large bed with enough room for Jack to slide in beside him and Jack held him like he was spun glass.

So precious and delicate.

So beautiful.

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So, I hope that can explain a way to have saved everyone…bar baby. That's the one to sort now. Some want to let it die, some want to keep it frozen. I wonder if the serum would work or if the baby is so small that it would die before the serum would work.

Ianto can make a full recovery but I like the idea of a little enerve damamg maybe…deafness in one ear? Also the idea h will have little relapses, need catnaps or something? JAkc has to force him to sit down sometimes? He temper flares and he can be childishly temperamental?

He will ask about the baby though. You know he will.

Or…we keep it on ice for later in the story whern there might be a piece of tehc or something that shows up that can fix things, or the Doctor comes to visit and ha something like a healing patch in the Tardis? If we chose this then we can easily explain that the baby must be kept in cryo.


	23. Chapter 23

23

FranArian - Realistically, the baby would not have the stamina to survive the process with the serum (but I know the world is full of unrealistic bleeding hearts who always want miracles when it comes to human larvae regardless...sigh...). Guess it'll be a case of leave it iced and hope for a 'cure' down the line or something if that's how it swings.  
With Ianto...the most common sequela (after effects) for stroke induced brain injuries are; speech deficits (aphasia or dysarthria usually), residual weakness and/or partial paralysis (normally focused on one side of the body, or an individual limb...recurring difficulty with hand grip and/or a limp requiring a stick to steady the gait being the mildest manifestations), and visual field deficits (double vision, partially obscured visual field, blurred vision, possibly even blindness in the eye on the side evidencing the damage)...victims may have one or all of the sequela from the stroke, and they can be constant, intermittent, permanent or transient, depending on the damage done by the initial CVA/ICH. Fatigue and mood swings (the latter often associated with frustration over lingering limitations) are common in recovering stroke victims as well. Don't usually find hearing issues linked to most strokes (though I suppose it's possible). Any issues Ianto has, would remain and/or recur until Orin was able to get him 100% healed...and that could take some time.  
Of course, that's all the 'real world' talking again, so who knows what will tickle your fancy... ;}

Eleana666 - I think the doctor should arrive with the knowledge that the baby has a part to play in the future. He will "fix" the baby's sickness and Jack and Ianto will raise the baby. Ianto will be too delicate for fieldwork but will take care of hub organization along with the baby Harkness-Jones daily. Ianto is happy. Jack is, too!

Kathy+C - I'm seconding Eleana666's suggestion. Everything she suggested will make me extremely happy. Or maybe Owen and Drew can keep working and figure out a fix on their own, or with something that Ianto remembers is the archives, to help save the baby.

Bbbbbbbbbbbbringggggggggggggggggggitttttttttttttttttooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Ianto lay staring at the pen in his hand with an intensity that might have it explode at any given minute.

"A square" Owen repeated, "Draw me a square."

Ianto frowned and said softly to himself, "A square. Draw a square."

The pen moved and he looked excitedly at Jack, then back to his task and rested, pushing the paper at Owen with triumph.

Owen accepted the paper and looked at it, then nodded, "Good mate. Rest now."

Ianto settled back in the pillows and then as Jack went to follow Owen Ianto's hands shot out, missing Jack's arm by a country mile but Jack saw it and moved his arm to allow Ianto the hold, "What love?"

"We will go see Kevin later?"

Since discovering the baby was in the cryo vaults Ianto had been making a daily pilgrimage to it now Owen had declared him well enough to move around in a wheelchair. Each day he asked, each day a different name. Jack wondered if Ianto was even aware he was doing it but since the scare a week ago he wasn't about to call him out on it.

Orin was still working hard to fix the damage done by the virus, the sensory damage only part of the problem as parts of Ianto's brain seemed irreparable and new neuropath ways had to be fashioned. It was strenuous work and Orin had put so much into healing Ianto that this was slow going.

"Yes love, soon" Jack assured him, following Owen outside and he held out his hand to the piece of paper, annoyed when Owen hesitated so he snatched it and turned it over to look at the perfect circle.

"It takes time" Owen said softly, "There is no reason to believe he will not recover."

"I note the lack of the word 'full' in that statement" Jack said as he looked at Owen.

"The weakness in his right side may linger. Look, at least he can hold the pen now." Owen sighed, "Ianto may never regain the full use of…hey…hey…"

Jack had slumped against the wall and Owen reached out to comfort, placing a hand on his shoulder as he spoke softly, "Positivity is a major factor here. We can't let him falter. We can't fail him."

"He had a cold" Jack said morosely, "The sniffles before we even left. He should have stayed back."

"And then it would have been me or Toshi with you?" Owen asked, "What then with no Orin to help produce the serum we needed? We all die? Yep. Sounds like you were a right selfish bastard there mate."

Jack snorted at the logic thrown at him and scrubbed his face as he tried to shake the annoyance, then he took a deep breath, "Right. Time to visit Kevin."

"He's going through the alphabet" Owen said suddenly, "Shit. The archivist mind still there. James yesterday, Ian the day before that. Today Kevin. What's the bet it stays with L tomorrow?"

"I hadn't noticed" Jack snorted, "He is."

Jack eased Ianto into the chair and then settled a rug about his legs before pushing him down to the vault and the drawer that housed the little one.

Ianto reached out and stroked the drawer, thinking of how afraid the poor wee thing must have been, how horrible all alone. Jack knew he had to keep it short of Ianto would get upset so he waited for a short while then leaned down, "Any chance you are up to a coffee?"

Ianto perked up and Jack was able to wheel him from the room, heading for the upper levels via the lift when there was a noise Jack knew so well that he gripped the chair was relief.

"Doctor!" he erupted from the lift and hugged the suited man standing at the end of Owen's gun, "Thank the Gods."

The Doctor listened to the problems that the virus had caused, watching Ianto intently as he tried desperately to appear normal, then gave in and let his hand twitch in his lap.

"Well, I do have some patches that might work, they have preloaded nanites…I have a couple of human ones left…I think…need to check but…maybe…." The Doctor kept swinging in the chair as he looked up at the rafters and he froze, "Is that…"

"Myfanwy, she's our pet Gerbil" Ianto said and then frowned, "That's not the right one."

"Well. I'll go check the cupboard…drawer…or maybe they are in the pocket of that coat…." The Doctor wandered off and Ianto turned to look at Jack another frown forming.

"Cariad?"

Jack smiled. Of all the words Ianto was getting wrong, he never fudged that one.

"It's OK, he's right. A quick reset, just like me" Jack assured him and Ianto canted his head.

"But what would it do to Orin?" Ianto asked calmly, "I need him to exist, there is so little tapioca left and if he hadn't helped me I would have died. Funny stuff tapioca."

Jack blinked, then swore softly. Nanites would definitely see Orin as a foreign thing and destroy him, even as they fixed Ianto. Could he lie to him? Jack looked into Ianto's wide eyes and knew what he had to say.

"Ianto, the patch would kill him." Jack said sadly.

"It's OK. I've had a good life, I should have died with my whale" Orin's voice was gentle as he tried to comfort Ianto, "This is a chance for you to be healed."

"Without the patch I will live and so will you" Ianto argued, "I would rather have a weak hand and you in my life, than kill you for my own gain!"

"Ianto…"

"NO!" Ianto snapped as Jack tried to intervene, "Let's see if he has any patches first."

"Here!" The Doctor crowed, waving one in his hand, "Found one!"

"Great!" Ianto said with his arms folded to show his defiance, "We can use it on Liam!"

"Liam?" Drew asked with confusion.

Owen blinked and then grinned, pointing at Jack, "See? Ls!"

"Huh?" Drew looked to Jack.

"The baby" Jack sighed as he slumped seeing the Welshman was determined. "He wants the patch for the baby instead."

,

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So….if the patch is used on the baby …Markie? LOL we need a name for him folks, any suggestions?….if we use the patch on the baby we can get Ianto to where we want as a Taddy that only worked part-time in the hub on desk duty only due to his weak hand, Orin can fix him to where there is just a slight limp when tired? His hand shakes worse when tired or angry? When he and Jack argue the wrong words still happen and it only upsets him more so Jack tries desperately not to upset him in the first place which means smothering….which upsets him.

I like the idea of the baby, like the idea of them being a family. Can't live in the hub. Buy a house or move into a safe house they already have? Orin is still a factor too, a baby is a new thing for him.

Drew. Still here. Do we send him off with the Doctor a a companion for wile and hve him reappear at some stage in the future as the Doctor does abandon them all in the end….or does Drew take ovr Ianto's job ince ianto is sidelined?

As to the hearing thing, as Orin took over because Ianto was shot in the head it might mean his hearing was damaged then, With Orin diminished the after-effects of the gunshot would return? Don't have to do that if you don't see it as part of the story.


	24. Chapter 24

**scoutbokmal** **-** Magnus, Nils, Oskar, Peter, Quentin, Rolf, Stefan, Tore, Ulrik, Viktor, William, Xander, Yngve, Zabin, Åke, Älge, Örjan. You wanted name ideas, I followed in Iantos footsteps with the alphabet.

 **AwatereJones** **-** I like Zander...Zane for short or Zandy?

 **scoutbokmal** **-** That could work, but in the end it's up to you to make the final decision.

 **Dee -** I like Michael better. Ianto's aphasia could diminish over time with Orin's help unless the Doctor can help Orin too. I don't want to see Orin leave or die. Ianto is also brilliant in using his Archivist training with his filing skills. He could be part time at the Hub and if the Doctor can cure the baby, would make a wonderful father. Also, i would think that Orin helped Ianto already with the gunshot damage.

FranArian - Can patch the kid to silence the wails of discontent...but no way Ianto will be up to taking care of it for some time yet (adopt it out? maybe they'll end up with a child some other way later when he's actually fit to deal with it?). The residual deficits you indicated are all quite workable (especially the flaring when he's upset) and even common in stroke victims. And how you feel Jack will handle that sounds right on point.  
Drew would be a good temporary Companion...and I really can't see him being content with doing Ianto's work. (I'm sure Rhys would step up to help with as much as he can while Ianto recovers.)  
Still not sure if the hearing thing clicks with the rest.  
As for a name to call the rug-rat (yeah...I know the boys would make great parents and all, but it just doesn't seem right to saddle Ianto with that while he's still got so far to go with his own healing process)...how about Phellen {went to school with a kid by that name...no clue if it's tied to a particular country/language, or just something his parents liked the sound of}...  
Life at the Hub could get dicey, without Ianto there to take care of the million things he does every day without the team realizing it.

Wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

"Phelan" Ianto said as he slid the name tag into the little wristlet, "I am calling him that."

"Yeah, I like that one too" Rhys smiled as he sat next to him, "Me and Drew were looking at baby names and that one seemed to jump out at us."

"Gaelic" Ianto smiled to himself, "Just right."

"This is going to work, right?" Drew asked and Ianto watched the way Rhys' arm snaked around Drew's waist to comfort, the action also not lost on Jack who raised an eyebrow.

"Er, we's been getting along" Rhys shrugged.

"Good" Ianto smiled softly, "Getting along. I like getting along too. Been a while since Jack and I got along, kinda hope we do soon, gotta itch the size of ….ah hey Doctor."

The Doctor entered and looked at the faces of three stunned mullets and a happy man in a wheelchair.

"Still working on our inner monologue are we?" he chirped as he stepped over to the little cryo-unit the baby slumbered in. "Ah, cute one."

"Yeah" Rhys released Drew to gush, "He's sweet, like a wew china doll, ain't he?"

The Doctor looked over the black rimmed glasses that seemed to have appeared from nowhere and smiled slowly, "Rhys, right?"

"Yeah" Rhys said happily, "Have we met before?"

"No, no" The Doctor shrugged, "Not yet anyway."

As Rhys canted his head at the weird statement the Doctor now focused on Drew, "And as for you youngling, best get over here. How are things with you? Are you settling into your skin? I always have days of angst when I get a new body. Still not ginger though. Been through ahhhh. Ten? This is number ten? I think…Jack?"

"Yeah, you are Ten" Jack said with a gentle affection for his friend, "A wonderful Ten."

The Doctor straightened up and looked at his friend with a soft smile "Why thank you Jack, Jack, Jackity Jax. You know, we do have a weird friendship. I never know how to leave you. Is it like a Band-Aid where I go quickly, or do I prolong it."

"Is..is that why you left me like that?" Jack asked with sudden shock, "Are you saying you left me like that because it hurt?"

"Well of course it hurts ya silly goose" the Doctor snorted, "I love you. Stupid ape."

"You know Dew could have gone for a ginger but decided not to" Jack pointed out and the Doctor looked at Drew with horror as they all laughed softly.

"Phelan, can we get back to him?" Ianto demanded, "He is going to wake up soon and I want him hurled. No. Shit. Not Hurled. Er…healed. Thank you Orin. Bloody worlds jumbling in my brain box. Can we please just heal the buggy? God fucking shit Christ!"

Jack knelt and placed his hands over Ianto's to stop them slamming down on his knees and leaned in close, "I think Mary popped Christ out love, read it somewhere."

Ianto took a deep shuddering breath as he glared at Jack and then let it out with a shaky laugh, then he turned his hands so they gripped Jack's and he nodded.

"One day at a time" Jack said softly.

"Right then, let's get this boy back" Rhys seemed keen as did Drew and Ianto was watching them as Rhys' hand found the small of Drew's back once more. Ianto leaned back in the chair as his eyes narrowed and he finally saw what his eager mind would have latched onto days ago if he had not been so busy fighting himself. He saw a fledgling couple. Well, well, well.

"Drew and Rhys" Ianto said slowly, controlling his words as best he could, "You look nice together. Happy. I am happy too. You deserve happy."

"So do you mate" Rhys said softly, touched that Ianto would say such a thing, "We all deserve sum happy in our lives."

"Will you take him?"

Rhys looked back around Drew who was leaning over the Cryo-unit with a worried frown, "What's that mate?"

"Phelan. I'm buggered or I would fight for him. I know I don't have a leg to stand on you see" Ianto waved a hand over his lap to prove the point, "Phelan needs family and I don't want him gone away. You and Drew could take him. Then I still get him too."

Drew straightened to look at the sad man in the wheelchair who was morosely staring at the cryo-unit "Ianto?"

"I would love to have him, love him, naturalize him…shit. See? Nurture. Nurture ya bloody shithead" Ianto scolded himself, "I would love to be a Tadda but I can't. I don't know what after-effects he may have so I don't want to give him away but…I'm stuffed."

Rhys finally caught on, "Wait. Are you asking me and Drew to raise him as a couple?"

"Yes!" Ianto slumped with relief, "Yes please."

The two men looked at one another as they had a silent debate then Rhys smiled softly, "What do you say toots. Wanna play house?"

Drew smiled back at the big bear of a man who made him still feel attractive and nodded silently.

"Good" Ianto sighed as he reached for Jack, "We all need happy."

"All I need is you" Jack whispered as he leaned in for a kiss, "The rest is gravy. You know that right?"

"My air" Ianto said as he gently patted Jack's chest, "You are my air. I breathe you."

Jack was touched and he kissed Ianto gently, revelling in the soft hum from his mate, then he drew back, "Phelan. How did you come up with that one then?"

"Rhys did" Ianto's eyes were dancing with merriment and Jack wondered why "He and Drew were talking about names and he said that one. I said it was a good strong one. We all agreed. Not just me."

"So" Jack sensed something amusing his tiger still so he decided to push, "What does it mean? Gaelic you said?"

"Yep" Ianto popped the P like he used to and Jack grinned as he saw the playful Welshman coming out, "An old name. Gaelic. Want to know what it means"

"Yeah" Jack laughed and he leaned in as Ianto brought his mouth by Jack's ear and whispered it to him, followed by a kiss to his earlobe.

"Phelan. Like a Wolf"

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Great name FranArian did you really not know what it meant? LOL

So. Rhys and Drew can raise wee Phelan and we still get some baby madness about the hub while Ianto and Jack can focus on each other. Deal?

Ianto and Jack can be dotting uncles. I am thinking the wee guy might actually channel Rhys a bit, he being the nurturing one not Drew who is still fumbling with the whole woman/man thing and keeps second guessing things. The old 'Who is the Wife' game. Of course Rhys will be the wife but Drew is too stupid to see that he is the one cooking, cleaning, babying until it is pointed out by Ianto?

I am thinking Jack might want to cut back time spent at work to focus on Ianto more…maybe a nice wheelchair assessable house? House hunting coming up? A wee bit of nest building as they try to become a real 'couple' and all the problem that might entail?


	25. Chapter 25

25

Lady Emma Wentworth - I'm thrilled for Rhys and Drew, and they'll make wonderful parents for Phelan. But I'm still so concerned about Ianto. He was such a vibrant, power-behind-the-scene man to be now a weak, confused shadow of his former self. Please don't let him become a pathetic victim of his circumstances.

Dee - A good, strong choice of name for the baby. Ianto's focus should be on his recovery and Jack should focus on helping him. Jack has given far more of his life to Torchwood than it needs; if he really loves Ianto, he'll cut back and take care of Ianto, letting Drew and Rhys sort their domestic situation out. It would be interesting to see the domestic situation develop between Jack and Ianto and where Orin will fit in their lives too.

Kathy C - Love the idea of Jack pulling back from the hub to focus on Ianto. And Rhys and Drew raising little Phelan together, perfect. Then we have The Doctor telling Jack that he loves him, Priceless! This story is getting better and better.

scoutbokmal - Phelan means wolf? And the one to suggest it didn't know? Oh great Zarquon, some things makes me believe the Bad Wolf is real.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

Ianto was aware of the bed dipping as Jack knelt on it and he grunted softly as he reluctantly gave away those last vestiges of sleep. Ianto blearily looked up at the harness descending and sighed, hating the bloody thing.

"I know, but you have to get used to it" Jack said softly, "What if I am not here and someone else had to toilet you?"

Ianto panicked.

Deep down he knew it was silly, Jack would never leave him but that statement came at a moment of only half awareness and Ianto knew he was about to 'have one' as Owen had started calling them and this pissed him off even more as he clenched his hands into fists in an effort to control the temper.

Jack felt it coming and glanced up in time to see the deep blush, something that was once so erotic and now just a sorry warning system that Ianto was going to cry. Jack sat on the side of the bed and took one of those fists into his hands, "What is it? Use your words love."

"No" Ianto said softly, as calmly and gently as he could but it still had a flatness to it that showed the anger underlying the single word. With Orin working through his own recovery there was no inner monologue to help him either, the words were stuck.

"You don't want the toilet? But I ran a bath too" Jack said with surprise, "I thought you wanted one."

"No" Ianto repeated, struggling to say the rest of the words and Jack realised this, not responding as he waited. "Not leaving me!"

Jack frowned as he tried to understand and then he replayed what he had said from Ianto's view and sighed "Baby. No. I'm not leaving you, I'm sorry. That was a rude choice of words. I mean, if I am stuck and can't get to you quick enough. No. I am not leaving you. I will never leave you."

Ianto took a shuddering breath and then nodded, his hand relaxing in Jack's and Jack smiled, "So. No harness lift? Come on, the old fashioned way is it?"

"Best kind" Ianto said as he held up his arms and Jack laughed as he forgave the tantrum that had almost erupted and he gently lifted Ianto in his arms to carry him through to the bathroom and the high bench to lay him on while undressing him.

"Did he Have One?" Owen asked as they entered, "Only I didn't hear anything smashing"

Ianto showed his dexterity with a single finger behind Jack's back as Jack passed Owen and Owen stuck out his tongue to hide the smile.

"That hyrdo lift cost a lot for a piece of modern art " Owen snarked, "Christ on a stick. Is he ever going to get in it?"

"He is here fuckwad" Ianto barked as he glared over at Owen and Owen smiled sweetly.

"Oh I am sowwwy" Owen said sarcastically, "I tawt da wee bubba was sweeping and Daddy had to cawwy him. Awwwww"

Jack turned to scold Owen but Ianto was faster as he struggled to sit up and swing his legs over the bed, "Fucktard wankface!"

Owen folded his arms and looked smugly down at the two feet that had hit the floor as Ianto rose and stood, shook with the effort and then lowered himself to the bench with a look of pure shock.

"Like I said when you placed the order" Owen said as he turned to stop the tap running "He wouldn't need that."

"Ianto, you stood!" Jacks lifted Ianto in his arms and danced around the room, whooping with glee as Ianto laughed and hung on.

"Finished?" Owen asked, "Only this water is getting cold and we put enough bubble bath in to last a lifetime."

"Smells wonderland" Ianto said happily and Owen went to correct him then closed his mouth as he glanced at the bath and saw it was like a wonderland so Ianto technically was correct. Besides. His slips were getting less and he had rallied him enough.

"Right, need the loo first?" Jack asked and Ianto shook his head, his eyes fixed on the large bath as Jack lifted him easily, walking over to lower him into the hot water.

"Ahhhhhhh" Ianto sighed happily, "Harsh."

"Harsh?" Owen asked.

"Hot" Ianto corrected himself, and snorted "But is Harsh on the ballsies."

They all laughed as Ianto settled against Jack who was kneeling by the bath to help hold him up even though they all knew Ianto could sit up without the support. Ianto tried not to splash him too much…well…OK. Of course he splashed, revelling in the bubbles.

"There you are" Rhys said happily as he entered with the little one in his arms, "Look Phel, Uncle Ianto splashes too."

Ianto's face lit up as he looked up at them and Rhys saw what a lovely child he must have been once, kneeling to let his son get a handfull of bubbles from the loving uncle's outstretched hand.

"Grape" Rhys said to the wee one, "That smell is called grape. Yummy isn't it? Better than the strawberry one I got the other day."

"Tesco's" Ianto said gleefully, "Brills!"

"You are a lovely bloke" Rhys crooned at him, then reared back, "Shit sorry Ianto. That was…sorry. I didn't' mean to infantile you there."

"No bothers" Ianto laughed, "You are a lovely bloke too."

"Hear that Phelan?" Rhys crooned, "We are all lovely blokes here, yeah. And Uncle Owen."

"OI!"

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So...house shopping next? Recommendations? I always seem to go for old villas would you like something different? a penthouse appartment like Owen's? Something else? What style, how many rooms? Will it be what Ianto likes or will Jack choose? No children here so it doesn't need a big yard...unless we are going to get Ianto a puppy to smother instead? Something to give him focus? Gotta walk again to walk the dog or something?


	26. Chapter 26

**Dee** Ianto and Jack should choose together with some input from Owen but given how Owen's was able to piss him off enough to make him stand momentarily and Ianto's snarky replies, I'd say go with as minimal as possible using mechanical aids. Jack is right, there could be a time where he might not be there to get Ianto to a bathroom. Maybe a scooter he can get into with help from an aide would be good. I'm thinking that even in an emergency, Ianto should never be left alone in his present condition and the house should be designed for someone in his present condition with his eventual and, hopefully, full recovery in mind. Owen could contribute suggestions and so could Rhys and Andy.

 **scoutbokmal** I can see Ianto, Orin and Jack (once Orin have recuperated) forming some sort of three-way relationship. I have gotten the impression that Orin Loves Jack, and vice versa.

 **Eleana666** Hope you will write more! A chapter having Ianto get much better would be great! Having them buy a home and move in together ... Perhaps a wedding ceremony...then their own wee baban!? Love ya, sweet lady! would like Oren to become more, too! Perhaps find a way for him to heal Ianto, then get a body that could become his own.

for Stumbling - an interactive experiment

Jun 4 c25 1FranArian  
What about a quiet little cottage, something in good nick, but maybe with a fenced but neglected garden (yard work to help him recover his strength) as well as a place for a puppy (a runt Border Collie would be perfect...very smart, loyal, loving, and would grow to be neither too big or too small...definitely a little female, much easier to potty train to one spot and less likely to roam). Be nice if Jack picks it, but because it was someplace they saw on a retrieval and Ianto had mentioned he'd always wanted a home like that. ;)

Jun 4 c25 sandysan2013  
There seem to be a lot of old abandoned industrial estates near big cities these days. Perhaps they could buy one that would provide underground access to T3, be a lot more secret so no one could find them to take them over, and all of them could live on different floors of one building, or in different buildings. A perception filter could hide the lot's real purpose and it could be made to look pretty for those authorized to know.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Well. I know its been a while but I have been super busy and now look back at this and wonder where to go. Well, let's see.

* * *

….

Jack had been taking Ianto to the park to watch the children play, something that seemed to please him when he pulled into the warehouse around the corner to check a crate for Tosh.

"Can I get out too?" Ianto asked, "The perception filter works great, this really looks like an old abandoned building. Come on Jack, you know I will probably find it before you Cariad."

"Show off" Jack grinned as he lowered the chair and helped Ianto the short distance from the seat of the SUV to the chair, his determination to stand and take those furtive steps not lost on Jack who revelled in each step towards recovery as much as his love. Orin was stronger as well, although not speaking and interacting with the rest of the team, sometimes in the comfort of their bed the alien being did speak with Jack for a short time, if only to reassure him that work was going well within the 'vessel' they all loved so much.

Ianto rolled easily across the concrete of the huge warehouse that outside looked like a small four room house in disrepair. Jack strode towards the crates marked as recent and tore off a lid. Ianto decided to explore the facility that seemed to have been something industrial with old bins and large drums sitting along one wall. It was huge, like an aircraft hanger but it was not cold like the outside and Ianto wondered if it was natural heating or some alien tech Jack used to keep the temperature constantly comfortable. He seemed to remember that piece of tech they found from the Groffelom Empire disappearing soon after they discovered it was an industrial heater of some sort.

Ianto entered side rooms that were offices maybe once upon a time, then he found a wet room.

Huh.

"Jack? They bathed here?"

"Yeah, this had had a lot of uses from small aircraft during the war and even a blimp or two through to mechanics. Great place, been in the Torchwood group for almost a hundred years." Jack called out as he crouched by the relevant crate, "There is an upper level by stairs and elevator with some sleeping quarters for the flight crews. Bathroom and kitchen and…"

Jack stopped talking as he heard a grinding noise and he knew his face had paled as he stood and watched the lift slowly rise to the next level. He hadn't even thought when he had spoken and he held his breath, then let it out slowly as it seemed the gears had been left well oiled.

"Jack, it's almost as large up here as down there! WOW I see you!"

Jack watched Ianto appear at the large window wall of the office and realised it was the same as the hub. He started to laugh as Ianto waved, then disappeared from the grimy pane of glass.

"We could fit the entire hub in here" Ianto said, echoing Jack's thoughts as he shot from the lift, "What's over there!"

Jack watched Ianto explore, following quietly as he let his love coo and peer into dark corners. Finally he got the torch from the boot of the SUV and stopped fussing as he realised it was driving Ianto crazy. He settled in a crate to read the file he had been retrieving and when a dirty, dusty Welshman powered over he was flushed and excited, "vehicles. Oh My God, a 1934 Phantom back there. Jack, several SUVs and if I am not mistaken a fucking tank!"

"Really?" Jack looked up with interest, "I wondered where that went. Shit, I though HRH pinched it. Ha. Not a helicopter as well was there?"

Ianto blinked.

"Oh well, guess she did get that then. There is a Cesena back there somewhere as well, a couple of other flying machines. Gods, I forgot about the vehicle pool." Jack grinned, "Big huh?"

"Bigger on the inside Cariad?" Ianto asked with glee and Jack roared with mirth.

"Maybe just smaller on the outside love." He finally replied as Ianto looked up at the rafters, high above their heads.

Jack also stood and looked up, then around with fresh eyes. "Ianto, tell me what you see"

"Potential" Ianto answered, his gaze falling to capture Jack in its excited mirth.

Ianto hadn't looked so happy in so long and Jack could have danced a jig as he saw the fight in his eyes, ready to argue the reasons for using this place as a secondary hub.

"Well, we do need a back up hub" Jack decided to give it to him and concede defeat before Ianto got his blood pressure raised, "We can easily set up a fallback in case we need to go into hiding. Like, real hiding."

"Oh Jack" Ianto laughed softly, "Always looking forward, never to the side. Cariad. This is not just a great spy base."

"Oh?"

"Jack, this is a great base. Full stop. A home. My chair goes everywhere, I can recover in that huge dipping pool that was for entire bloody vehicles. I can swim in there, Jack. Look around" Ianto waved his hands, "Upstairs as our apartment, down here as the secondary, or nigh time hub."

Jack leaned back and considered.

Actually, it made sense.

Close enough to the hub to be suitable for a secondary base yet far enough for Ianto to have his full attention when he needed it.

Jack rose and stood looking around as he saw the potential.

They could live here?

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Yes?

No?

All the team or just a small minor hub for the nightly checks?

How big is this place? In my mind I am seeing several football fields, since we are being cheeky with the perception filter thing. Basement? What vehicles? What else might Ianto discover since even Jack doesn't know everything he and other agents shoved into corners?

Shopping would be fun for this new place, what do you all think?


	27. Chapter 27

for Stumbling - an interactive experiment

SuziH-J I like the idea of it being a secondary hub (you never know when someone might blow the other one up!), & home to ianto & jack. Maybe spare ready rooms for others, but not there permanent homes. Need some separation so Jack & Ianto get private space/time. Maybe a small gym, workout area. Glad ianto improving, is there any way the nanites could be programmed to see Orin as part of Ianto & not needing to be destroyed? Would love to see Ianto get closer to being his old self.  
Sorry for not providing input earlier, had kind of forgotten about this one & had to catch up on a few chapters.

FranArian If it's going to be their home, then I'd say it should only be a minor Hub, or emergency fall-back if there's ever a reason they can't be in the normal base (proper equipment, including a medical bay, but mostly in stand-by with just minimal tech on line for the night watch). Don't want the whole team hanging about all the time, rather negates the point of it being a place of their own. Still think a garden and puppy would be good, but this definitely has all the potential Ianto sees in it.

scoutbokmal There seems to be extensive living quarters, so perhaps those on the team that want to could move in, and those who would like to live outside of there could have their own rooms for overnighters? Maybe there's some kind of space craft in there too?

Dee I totally agree with Ianto! The description of this place has me drooling over the potential. Lots of work to keep Ianto busy and recuperating!

Eleana666 Great ideas for a secondary hub! Glad Ianto is excited!

Hrothgar Private apartment with a wing to the side for rooms for the team when they need them? And YES the shopping would be epic!

* * *

"But we can!" Owen repeated for the umpteenth time as he stood looking up at the mezzanine level.

"Sometimes" Jack repeated.

This had been going for a while and Ianto was genuinely interested in this weird game they were playing where Owen was pretending he didn't understand that he was getting a room and Jack was pretending not to let him have one.

Like bloody three year olds these two.

"Well, I might be sick and need Ianto to nurse me" Owen tried a new tactic, "Him and his worm know me ya know."

"Really? So I don't have to pay for your services? Ianto's coffee will do?" Jack countered and Owen's eyes narrowed as they started another staring contest.

"I will only have stuff in my room, I promise not to vomit more around the place. I really can't believe you even pointed that out, the Hub is different" Owen snarled.

"Three work areas" Jack was enjoying this, clearly as he leaned back against the back of the old sofa and looked bored, "You have the medical bay, the workstation assigned you by Tosh and then you took Suzie's. Now you think I trust you not to pinch an area here for your bits of gore?"

"Ianto likes my bits of gore, he can be gory too and anyway, Gwen doesn't use her workstation you assigned either, she doesn't use the little one that was supposed to be hers she stole Ianto's!" Owen folded his arms and there was a slight change on Jack's face. A flicker that was gone as quickly as it arrived but Owen knew he had struck a nerve so he went for the jugular.

"Ianto has to go under the stairs for the backup workstation that was only for emergencies. Doesn't complain but you know it means he can't' work with us. Always separate at the poky wee one or he has to go to the archives and that office space he had found there. Might be nice to work together when it's not the end of the world necessitating Gwen allowing him some room."

Ianto could see the atmosphere changing as Gwen became a weapons and knew soon Jack was going to have a cow so he intervened, "I guess a play pen for him is a good idea Cariad, then we know where he is. If Myfanwy comes like I think she will she won't want him lurking about. You know she likes to stalk him covertly."

"Hah!" Owen said with glee, then frowned, "What do you mean stalk me? She stalks me?"

"Constantly" Ianto shrugged as he rolled past in the chair with a look of disinterest in the whole thing, "Still trying to work out if you are of edible size I think, you being the smallest."

"Huh?"

"Like culling the herd" came Ianto's voice faintly as he turned a corner and Jack struggled not to laugh as Owen stood gaping in the direction he had gone.

 _That was mean_

"But needed, they would have fought all bloody afternoon and I want the dimensions for the carpeting" Ianto replied softly, finding it easier to talk to Orin out loud as his mind kept four running lists alive internally.

 _I am feeling stronger every day, this place makes you happy and it seems to aid me_

"Yes, I feel it too" Ianto smiled as he leaned back in the chair "I can walk further. I don't want to push it but you know my swimming is getting stronger and I think soon I can give up these wheels."

 _It will mean a lot to Jack as well, he watches you sleep with such concern_

"He does?"Ianto stopped and smiled softly, finding the idea of Jack watching over him so endearing. For a man who doesn't like the 'L' word he does express it a lot in other ways.

 _His concern is well noted but unrealized. You and I are recovering. I am starting to enjoy this body once more_

"Orin, I've been meaning to ask you, about love. I mean me and Jack have a lot of …er…rubbing time. I know you never interrupt but are you OK? I mean…I do love you."

 _Ianto I do not require physical affection to feel loved. I know you love me. I feel like you are mine and I share you with him, nothing more nothing less. My kind only couple for procreation a couple of times in our entire lives. We choose companions and you are my companion. I am content. I love you too_

Ianto was relieved to hear this, sitting back and considering the layout in my mind. If he had a lot of chairs placed about looking like they were part of the main decoration then he could walk the short distances and rest for a while, then walk to another.

 _Don't overdo it_

"I know, but I want to push a little. I feel like I have been dragging my heels and letting my fears get in the way" Ianto sighed "I need to get myself back in the game."

 _You humans and your games_

"I know, I use that analogy a lot. Perhaps, get my mind back in business?" Ianto laughed.

Much better

"Yeah, I think so too" Ianto agreed.

"Think what?" Jack asked as he entered.

"That I need to go to a few second hand stores to get what I want. Some new bits like our bed but you know I like old things." Ianto said softly as Jack leaned in for a kiss, "After all, I like you."

"What?" Jack gasped with fake horror.

As Ianto powered away he shot over his shoulder "Most of the time."

It took Jack a few minutes to realize there had been no accent and Orin had been playing with him for a change.

Jack's bark of laugher echoed as he realized Orin had been bloody funny actually.

Ianto was a bad influence on him.

* * *

.

.

.

So, what things will Ianto have on the new list and what on the old list? I have an image of Jack in a second hand shop clinging to a grandfather clock begging for it.


	28. the story so far

The Story so Far….

Ianto was quietly handing out the coffees as the team continued their ranting. The morning meeting was bleeding into the usual arguments quickly.

Another weekend with no sign of down time had started to fray the last remaining nerves and everyone blamed the one person who always seemed to come up in front of impending doom. Jack!

Owen has finished his posturing and sat back to enjoy Tosh's rare display of temper. His gaze wandered to Ianto as the voices washed over them. Ianto leant forward to place the cup of tea in front of Tosh and froze for a moment before placing the cup and saucer in front of her.

Yeah, tea-boy also looked like death warmed up even though he knew he was sneaking off for cat naps in the archives. Yeah, he caught him yesterday in deep sleep. Alright to be the bloody teacher's pet eh?

Owen then noticed something he hadn't before. Jack was also watching Ianto's hands. Not that it was unusual for Jack to watch tea-boy but seriously, he seemed to be watching intently. For what?

There! Ianto froze again, then went to pick up the last cup on the tray and missed. His hand closed over air and his eyes flicked to Jack who frowned back. Then Jack's eyes refocused on Owen and his face changed.

Owen knew that look. The "don't say anything" look. What the hell?

Ianto went to leave the room with the tray tucked under his arm and stopped again before stepping to the left. Yep, he had been about to walk into the doorframe. Why take a step and not just adjust his … oh shit.

Owen was out of his seat before Jack had a chance to interrupt the loud posturing of Gwen than had distracted him from the stepping.

"Ianto, Oi!" Owen called out as Ianto turned at the base of the steps.

Ianto turned and grabbed the banister as he did. Ok. Balance problems?

"Med-bay! Now!" Owen hoped Ianto was act as he always did with a direct order.

Ianto's soft sigh told him he was right.

Gwen's protests petered out as she followed Jack out onto the catwalk.

"Shirt off, on the gurney. Come on, you know the drill!" Owen folded his arms in his hero pose.

Jack had reached the top of the walkway and looked down in time to see what was unfolding and called out to Owen to hold fire.

"Why? Wanna tell me something about tea-boy?" Owen frowned as Ianto froze.

"Ianto, go clean the conference room please sweetie" Jack said softly.

Ianto started to re-button his shirt and Jack waited for him to gain the top step before reaching out and re-buttoned the shirt correctly. With a soft kiss to his check Jack pushed Ianto away.

"Conference room love" he said again.

Ianto nodded and wandered off as if nothing had happened.

"Jack?" Owen was worried now. A public display of affection and terms of endearment in front of them without complaint as well as an obvious motor skill deficiency …

"You've not noticed have you. Not since the sea whale." Jack sighed and rubbed his face.

"What? That was weeks ago. Last bloody down day was …"

"Ianto had a stroke that night Owen" Jack said quietly.

"What!" Owen bellowed.

"Calm down!" Jack hissed.

"Talk! Now goddamn it!" Owen replied sitting down with a thud.

"After the whole thing was over we returned to the hub. Ianto was still a bit jumpy and I wanted to calm him down. The coffee machine usually does it so I was in my office trying to start the report and Yan was in the kitchen. After a while I noticed he wasn't making any noise so I went to find my coffee." Jack stopped and thought for a moment.

Owen had never seen Jack so unsure of himself. After a moment he restarted.

"He was just standing there. Locking in top of the coffee grinder, then un-locking it again. When I asked what he was doing he told me the stars were too bright to see. I laughed at him then saw he was serious. I did a check and one of his hands couldn't form a fist." Jack's voice broke in the last word and he took another deep breath.

"So you didn't say anything?" Owen asked with horror.

"I took him to A&E and they took him in for tests. He was diagnosed with a mild stroke and he refused to stay in. You know he hates hospitals." Jack shrugged. "Next day was a down day after the mission and when you all came back and he was OK."

"OK? Fuck Jack, he should have been resting, should probably still be resting" Owen snorted.

"You try telling him that. Look, he doesn't want a fuss and with that display from Gwen he thought it best just to try and move forward."

"Jack, a mild stroke is sometimes a pre-cursor to a major one. Shit!" Owen moved from the med-bay and found Ianto standing at the top waiting.

"Told him?" he said softly to Jack.

The girls were still talking as they walked over to join the men and came a stop by Owen.

"Told him what?" Gwen demanded.

Ianto frowned at her and shook his head.

"Told him what Jack?" Gwen repeated ignoring Ianto.

"Nothing that concerns you!" Jack snarled as Ianto turned to leave.

Ianto stumbled and Owen got to him before Jack.

"Steady on mate, let's sit down for a minute." Owen said softly.

"Fuck off!" Ianto snarled, pulling his arm from Owen's grip and slamming back into Jack who caught him.

"Ianto!" Tosh gasped in shock at the uncommon outburst.

"Steady on yourself Owen!" Jack bellowed, lifting Ianto as if he were a child and swinging him behind him.

"Do we have a problem here Owen?" Jack growled with one hand still reaching back to contain Ianto.

"Fucker touched me!" Ianto roared, trying to reach around Jack to grab Owen who gave a squeak of surprise and jumped back slamming in to Gwen.

"Ianto? What's wrong Pet?" she frowned trying to understand the weird scene and unfamiliar vulgarity from polite Ianto.

"Owen touched me the fucking …" Jack's hand was now over his mouth as his stare of death was drilling into Owen's shocked face.

"Er, Ianto's a bit over-tired girls. There was a late night …" Owen started but Tosh interrupted.

"No there wasn't. Nothing logged and nothing …"

"We did a side job for UNIT, not logged because it was off the books" Jack answered removing the hand from Ianto's mouth.

"But Flash, he fucking …"Ianto stopped and froze then gave a snort before moving toward to kitchen.

"Conference room. Sir?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Um, no thanks sweetie. I think we all have reports to write and we'll have our meeting later." Jack smiled softly.

.

.

.

Of all the things Jack had thought he might meet, see; learn this had not been one of them. Gods, he and John had even joked about it last time they were back this far in the time-streams about 'primitive' humans and here was Ianto proving him wrong in the most…unusual …way.

Jack watched as Tosh rose to follow Ianto into the kitchen and her hand rose, stroking his shoulder to let him know she was there. She was one of the few people who knew how he could zone out while at his beloved coffee machine and he turned to face her as the loving smile betrayed his pleasure in her presence.

As always there was that momentary sting.

Jealousy.

Silly, Tosh was no threat and he knew their affections were more sibling in nature, always taking of off like a chill in the air but now, most of all Jack felt that fear sliding up his spine as Ianto's face softened and he looked down at her as if being shown a rare gem.

Tosh said something and his response was obviously his dry humor because she pretended to turn to go, her hand over her mouth as she repressed her laughter, then she turned back and Ianto smiled at her, offering the cup.

Jack leaned back and considered things.

Ho far could they take this? What level could of secrecy could they possibly hope to achieve even with the device humming softly in the background.

Time still ticked by and as if hearing his thoughts, Ianto glanced up and they locked eyes.

Then a gentle nod and Ianto moved away.

Jack took the hint and blinked away the urge to follow Ianto with his eyes.

He had work to do.

Before it was too late.

.

.

.

.

Ianto stood morosely staring at the device as Jack knelt and reached out a hand to shake it gently.

It was cold and dank down in the basement level and Ianto pulled his jacket tighter, knowing this was bad, really bad. "Can you fix it?"

He hated how desperate he sounded, and the way Jack was grimacing wasn't helpful either.

"I'm sorry Ianto" Jack sat back on his heels, "This is clearly why you've been stumbling. It is phasing and as it flickers in and out, so does its ability to filter your thoughts."

"And when it finally gives up the ghost, mine comes back" Ianto slumped against the wall with despair.

"I'll think of something" Jack rose to face him, his hands warm as he rubbed at Ianto's arms, "I know there has to be a secondary power source here somewhere, OK?"

"Jack, I can't….I can't go back there" Ianto whispered, "I …I can't hear that in my head. The constant noise, the drumming. I don't know if I can handle that voice in the back if my mind saying those terrible, horrible things."

Jack pulled him in close, desperate to soothe, to comfort as he saw the terror in his lover's face. Ever since the Space Whale, it's mind finding Ianto's amidst the chaos and unlocking a door deep in the back if his mind, Ianto had started to become increasingly unstable.

The mood swings, the loss of control. It was happening more frequently and this Darlek mind control Jack had fixed…well … modified to filter the white noise away, making Ianto calm again and surprisingly it had made Owen less snappish too.

Now it's power source was dying and Ianto's control along with it.

"What will we do Cariad?" Ianto whispered softly, his hands scrabbling at Jack and he felt his heart twist as he held Ianto tighter, like it might stop him flying apart like autumn leaves.

"We will hold on tight Tiger" Jack replied softly "I will not let you go. No matter what happens, I will not let you go, OK?"

"Remember you said that" Ianto's voice was deeper, more clipped as he solidified in Jack's arms and then pulled away. His face the usual mask of annoyance as he turned to look at the door moments before Tosh clicked in, her heels drumming with that fucking noise.

"There you are" she smiled softly, "I was doing a scan and wondered what the heat signatures were."

"You can scan this deep?" Ianto canted his head, "You have enhanced the wavelength?"

"By another three bars" she answered with a grin, his following gently as he stepped to one side so she could speak to Jack. "There is some guy upstairs claiming to know you. Gwen went up to greet him and is all over him like fleas on a dog."

"Shouldn't it be the other way around" Ianto said, then slapped his hand over his mouth as Jack sorted and tried to cover his laugh with a grunt.

Tosh blinked, "Did you just call Gwen a dog?"

"Sorry" Ianto grimaced as she laughed softly.

"She is hard work" she sighed, "anyway…Adam. He is still waiting. She knows him, they seem like good friends so I don't know where you met him."

Jack wandered up with Ianto following calmly, and Jack stood with his hands in his pockets eyeballing him as Adam stood with Gwen.

Ianto seemed fine too… right up to the point where Adam reached out to shake Ianto's hand and there was ….well, both men stalled out before Ianto blinked and released the hand to step back, unholster his side arm and with an intense glare he raised it to Adam's head.

"I don't know what you are but you are not welcome here" Ianto snarled, "That was a shoddy attempt at mind control, one of the poorest I've come across in many years and believe me, after eight hundred years I've come across a few. Now, whatever soul destroying thing you are, get the fuck off my planet before I smite you!"

Adam blinked and then started to back away, heading for the door and he kept rubbing the hand that had touched Ianto, his face showing fear, "what are you. I've never encountered that level of security, what….how did you do that? So many doors."

"Easy" Ianto canted his head as he cocked the gun, "I am the Guardian."

.

.

"So…hang on." Owen had stood and he sat down, massaging his temples, "you have a …parasite in you?"

"A pilot" Ianto replied.

Owen shrugged to show he was still confused as Gwen simply clicked a pen at a furious rate, her eyes whipping between them.

"OK, let's put it this way" Jack interrupted, "You've seen Stargate, right? The Goa'uld? The little snake things that live in a human host and together they exist?"

"They conquer!" Owen snorted.

"OK, so…bad example then. These are not actually those, these are…."

"Pilots" Ianto repeated rolling his eyes. "Here on earth we have Pilot Fish that live with the large Whales, feeding off the parasites and such that annoy the whales. A symbiotic relationship. OK, so these little Pilots are like that but of course in space they live INSIDE their whale. In the warehouse, while all the commotion was going on I fell against the whale and her pilot transferred. She was dying, it needed a host and I was…injured. It saw something it could heal and acted."

"It went into you?" Owen frowned.

"Orin" Ianto said softly.

"What?"

"He is called Orin" Ianto said calmly, "I was shot. In the head. A gun. He…he took over and went after them while healing me as best he could."

"So the headaches, stroke like symptoms, shit. You've got a bullet in your fucking head?" Owen gaped.

"Actually it's in my heart now" Ianto sighed, "He healed me from the outside in, not realizing it would trap the fragment. It has travelled to my heart and the noise is infuriating. He can hear it all the time, the banging of the heart valve as it catches and blocks, then clears again."

"Holy shit!" Owen snorted.

"Pilots travel the 'Verse learning and exploring" Ianto explained softly, "Space Whales live so long and they see so much. Pilot are practically immortal. They also heal their host and prolong their life too."

"So, he's about 800 years old for real?" Owen laughed softly.

"Well, in space there is little to judge time against" the deep voice was devoid of accent and Owen canted his head as he realized the Pilot was speaking, "But I do believe so. Ianto has explained your concept of time and I have calculated to the nearest Sol3 year."

"Your eyes don't glow when you control him!" Gwen pointed out and everyone slowly turned to stare at her.

"Gwen" Jack said slowly, "He is not s Goa'uld! He is a friendly species."

"Ianto chooses to let me speak" Orin said with equal slowness, "Ianto controls this vessel, I am here as an observer. If he wants to, he can give control to me. I am a pilot."

"So. You have a bullet in your heart causing you angst" Owen said as he started to swing in his chair again, "We need to get it out."

"Yes, I would prefer the heart gone altogether, troublesome thing but Ianto had explained that he needs it" the voice droned, "But seriously, these bodies are so annoying. They were poorly constructed."

"Yeah, tell me about it!" Owen snorted, "We are still evolving though."

"This is still the 21st Century" Jack smiled, "By the 51st we have adapted more. We are both out of our ponds, aren't we?"

"Ah. I understand this analogy" the voice said and then came a smile that was clearly Ianto and the vowels filled Jack with affection, "But you will always be the lecherous shark Sir."

"Cheeky" Jack laughed.

Gwen folded her arms as she leaned back in the chair and stared at Ianto some more.

She remembered the movie with Kurt Russell in it and Rhys watched the show with MacGyver in it. She was going to interig…er…ask him later.

As if catching her thoughts, Ianto looked in her direction and she would have sworn his eyes glowed for a second.

Maybe.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"Heading out, Ianto can you come?" Gwen called as she ran along the hub grating and Ianto immediately grabbed his coat to follow.

They climbed into the SUV and sped out of the underground parking level and up into the street, cruising along as Ianto checked his PDA and frowned, "Gwen, there's no work number. Where are we off to?"

"Have to meet someone and wanted backup" she replied and Ianto lowered the PDA to look at where they were, more interested now as he recognized the industrial area near where Myf had been found.

They entered a warehouse and the large doors swung closed behind them, startling Ianto who turned to her again, trying to read her face as she turned to face him.

"Gwen what is this?"

"Something that has to be done, it will all be over soon" she slid out the door and he blinked, then followed, his Burberry flapping as he hurried to catch her up in the cold warehouse his eyes checking corners and shadowed areas nervously.

"Gwen? Who are we meeting?"

"General!" Gwen said happily and Ianto slowed with horror as he saw the Unit team waiting and he spun to look at Gwen with open fear as she continued to speak, "Here he is. As you can see, he is easily led."

It was all too easy for them, he had trusted her so complicity that he hadn't even unholstered the weapon that was being taking as the gun to his head encouraged his co-operation.

"What will you tell your captain" the General asked as he watched the handcuffs trap their latest acquisition.

"The truth" he shrugged, "There was a treat, I dealt with it. Once the mind control wears off he will realize that I did my duty."

"Gwen" Ianto said softly, "I trusted you, how could you be so…so…cold."

"We don't need your kind here, Jack needs his own mind back and with you gone he will shake off whatever it is you were controlling him with, you and your little snake!"

"Snake? Gwen I can assure you it is not little!" Ianto blinked innocently, "Seriously? You are still jealous of my sexual relationship with Jack, you do this? What did you tell them, why would they agree to take me?"

"The Goa'uld!" she sneered, "They know about your little ….pilot thing!"

Ianto's eyes grew wide and then to her confusion he threw his head back and barked with laughter, "Gwen, are you really telling me you told them I am a character from a TV show and they believed you?"

Ianto turned to the General, "I don't know what is says about her that she is so willing to get rid of her romantic competition by making up the ridiculous lie or how easily she led you. You do know it's a TV show, right? I am not a…Goa'uld. Have you seen the show? Do I have one of those funky head things?"

"Only the slaves do!" Gwen said authoritatively, "I told you he would try to lie to you about it. Test him, watch his eyes and you will know. Goodbye Ianto."

Ianto felt a spike of fear and then the voice whispered that it would be OK, they would find nothing, and there was nothing to fear.

 _We logged the location as we pulled up, remember? As soon as Toshiko checks the PDA she will find our location. Be calm. I am not afraid, we will survive this._

Ianto was yanked along as he looked back to see the doors opening and the SUV roared off without him, leaving him to his fate.

"Right, we have the lab set up, take him and begin the tests" the general barked, "Just don't kill him. Well, not yet."

"Sir"

"I am giving you 24 hours to prove the existence of the symbiotic passenger" he said as he started to walk in another direction and Ianto pulled against the restraints as he was dragged along.

"And when you find nothing?" he called out to the retreating man's back, "When you realize she played you and you have just taken Captain Jack Harkness' lover? What then?"

The man had the good grace to turn and gape before taking a step back towards him, "Lover?"

"Yes!" Ianto spat, "Jack and I are a couple, you know? Relationship? Lovers? Partners? That bitch had been pursuing him for months and you have just done the very thing she wanted. She will go back and tell him I fell into the fucking rift or something. He will not stop looking for me, he will not believe her as he knows I am well trained and he will seek me out. It might take time but he will find me. After all, he found Toshiko where you had hidden her, right?"

The General was chewing it over so Ianto tried one more poke.

"He will tear this place asunder" he said calmly to him, "He will decimate you. After all, you've not a good relationship to start with, this will be enough for him to lose his shit."

"Get him out of her, test him now" the General snarled, "You have two hours!"

"Two?" the man in the while coat squealed, "You said 24."

"Adapt!" the General roared as he spun to move away faster, "If he is looking we have to move. You have two and then we up sticks and move."

Ianto hoped Orin was right. He could ghost and hide from scans, hide from them. The PDA automatically updated to Mainframe each time it was turned off, which he had done when they exited the vehicle. Two hours? Was that enough time?

He also hoped Jack could control his temper long enough to get the job done before he punished Gwen.

He really wanted to see that for himself.

.

.

.

.

Ianto felt ill, he couldn't take it much more and he vomited over the side of the gurney as a soldier swore and jumped back.

"That'll be the sedatives" a voice said from somewhere nearby, "Just let him get it out while he can still roll. Don't want him to choke on it."

"Well?" the General barked.

"Nothing" the far away voice sighed, "Human. 100% human. Can't find anything in the scans, bloods, MRI, thermo imaging…nothing. I think he was telling you the truth, that bitch just wanted him out of the way, either that or she set you up."

"Shit"

Ianto felt his stomach roll once more, then a calm came over him as Orin soothed and whispered gentle, calming things to him and Ianto let himself sink into the sedatives as he let Orin have control for a while.

They wanted a Pilot? Orin was taking the helm.

First, he examined the straps holding them down and it was a simple flick to snap both thumbs and slide the hands out, then reset the thumbs and heal. He sat up the body and tested the head in top of the neck, still getting used to the controls here folks, ah. Right.

Orin reached down and snapped the straps on the ankles, enjoying the muscles as they shifted under the skin and then swung the legs over the edge, standing and reaching for the soldier still looking down at his soiled shoes.

The necks on these creatures are so delicate, you would think there would be more muscles or something to help protect them. It snapped with just one hand?

He tried another and was surprised all over again as he found this one even daintier and as she folded gracefully to the ground he canted his head and stared at the General, standing with his back to him as he leaned over the shoulder of the doctor reading the screen.

"We'll put him back in the stimulus chair" the General said and Orin felt anger. True, hot anger as he recalled the way Ianto had screamed as he had been tortured in the strange chair that gave electrical pulses that were not life threatening, but agonizing. Well, might have been without him on board to help.

There was commotion outside in the hall and Ianto whispered in the back of his mind that it was Jack, only his weapon made that thudding noise and Orin stepped aside as the door flew back off its hinges and Jack's boots were followed by his coat tails as he stormed into the room.

Orin felt Ianto's relief and…affection.

A new concept and it felt nice.

Then Jack was embracing him, pulling him in and holding him close as he raised the Webley at the General, "Tell me how you got him!"

"Jack" Ianto sighed as he slumped against him, released by Orin who felt Ianto's need to calm his mate.

"TELL ME!" Jack roared and spit flew, "How did you get Ianto!"

"Gwen" Ianto whispered and Owen reacted before Jack could, shoving her with anger and she stumbled back, squeaking as her arms wind milled and she landed in the chair.

"It wasn't my fault!" she wailed, "I might have one too. How do you know I wasn't being controlled?"

Owen opened his mouth to respond but Gwen was looking down at the foot pedals near the chair and she squirmed until she could touch one.

The chair hummed as she settled back, Jack letting his grip slide as Ianto lunged, calling out a warning but her look was one of triumph as it started to change pitch and then she was screaming, writhing and screaming as the chair gave her the same treatment Ianto had suffered not half an hour ago.

"She's not got the mouth restraints in" Ianto sighed, "I hope she doesn't bite her tongue off."

"Fuck" Owen said as he watched her hair start to rise, the electrical charge making it crackle.

Finally it cycled down and she slumped, making little squealing noises as she wet herself.

"Well, I didn't do that at least!" Ianto sniffed as he turned to Jack, "She brought me here because she decided it would 'save' you from me and Orin."

"Right!" Owen stepped closer to the chair, "What other ones did they use?"

"Owen!" Ianto scolded as he watched the acrid man stomp on another pedal.

Gwen made a high pitched howl as the chair started again and Owen stood with his arms folded watching.

"For scientific purposes" Owen said without looking away an Ianto turned to Jack who just shrugged then looked at the General.

"You!" Jack pointed at him, "You General, go next!"

.

.

Jack was sitting by the bed as Ianto stirred and opened his eyes, looking up with surprise at the surroundings.

"Hey" Jack smiled softly, "Welcome back."

"It's Orin" he replied croakily, "Ianto is still …recovering. Such delicate minds, so easily scrambled. He is standing in a huge room full of filing cabinets that go from floor to ceiling with all these files on the floor slamming them back into drawers, muttering to himself. Tiring just watching him."

Jack smiled at the description of Ianto's memory and nodded, "He is very organized. Hates mess."

"Yes, he is the most comfortable vessel I have ever piloted, it was surprising at first but then I saw why your kind is so prevalent" Orin said calmly, "You are all very sweet, for all your rampaging and destruction there is a side to you that is easily forgivable."

Jack laughed softly and leaned back in the chair, "So Ianto is not in pain?"

"You care for him" Orin said softly, "It is interesting that even though you are not able to breed, you chose one another."

"Actually we can" Jack leaned close and spoke quietly so the others couldn't hear, "I can reproduce, I am from the future when gene manipulation means the males of some of our kind can grow a baby. I could have one with Ianto, if not for the fact that we are constantly at a state of emergency."

"Ah yes, the whatever to midnight clock" Orin smiled and Jack noted that it was different to Ianto's even on the same face, "Ianto has shown me a lot of his memories, lets me loose in his mind and although there are many evil things lurking, I was pleased to find the level of affection there. You are his greatest treasure, the memories and thoughts of you are in a gold filing cabinet all on their own, prized."

Jack felt a rare blush as he heard of Ianto's feelings, something he knew Ianto would be squirming about if he were listening and this let him know that Ianto was not there.

"Orin, you will look after him, right?" Jack frowned, "You will always do your best to heal him? He is…special. Important. You see that right? I mean …my memoires and thoughts of him are in a gold box on my head too."

"Yes" Orin softened Ianto's face, "I see that. He knows no other love like yours."

Jack swallowed and shifted in the chair as he wondered how Ianto would react to knowing these secrets and decided not to say. It was not his place to decide when Ianto was ready to reveal his damaged, sweet heart so he thanked Orin, finding solace in the fact that this Pilot was not only a good friend, but someone he felt trustworthy to share his beloved with.

"Ianto will recover" Orin continued speaking as he saw the closure in their last subject and chose another, "I would like to know about the female. She seems counterproductive and her actions not only angered Ianto but they frightened him as well. I see that she has done things in the past to cause him harm. Little hurts, digs and harsh words at times. I do not think she will stop. It is like a spiteful sibling always trying to push the other out of the spotlight. Fratricide seems to be on her brain. Will she always try to cause him harm?"

Jack sighed as he rubbed his face, "I think so. Mind, the others are thinking about that too. We have her partner, Rhys, coming in to talk to about what has happened. Do you remember him?"

"Yes, large teddy bear" Orin said, "That's how Ianto seems him."

Jack laughed as he agreed with the analogy, "Look. We will see, I would be happy to Retcon her back to infancy and dump her in the woods but I need to take a back seat here. I am not in a position to make an informed decision right now so I have handed off my command to Owen to sort things. The glee on his face was unnerving."

"Don't worry Captain" Orin assured him, "I feel they have Ianto's best interests at heart. Ianto is fond of that grumpy little man. I thought I had found the correct title for him but Ianto was laughing for so long before chastising me I realize it was not the correct one."

"Really?" Jack grinned, "What did you think he was?"

"A troll."

Jack choked with laughter, tears rolling down his face as he struggled to breathe and he knew Ianto must have been horrified.

"He is stirring, I shall step back now" Orin said, "Nice talking to you Captain."

"Jack, call me Jack. We are going to be spending eternity together my friend" Jack purred and he saw a flash of…pleasure?

Ianto seemed to relax as he took over his consciousness and his eyes rolled to Jack in question.

"It's OK Tiger" Jack said softly, "Me and Orin were just talking about Gwen. Owen has command and I will abide by their decision."

"Flash, are you OK?" Ianto asked, making Jack's heart melt as Ianto showed concern for him instead of himself.

"Hey, I'm Jumping Jack Flash, remember?"

"Gas, gas, gas" Ianto sighed as his eyes fluttered shut and Jack started to laugh as he finally knew why Ianto had started calling him that.

"Got to let the wee winds fly!" Jack laughed, "Besides, everyone farts, not just me!"

"No, but if it were an Olympic event you would be dripping in gold sir" Ianto said dryly and Jack felt a surge of affection, knowing he was already covered in gold, in Ianto's special memory room. Leaning in he kissed him gently, stroking his face as he told him to rest, he wasn't leaving him. His hand was warm and Jack stroked it gently as he watched Ianto fall into a restful snooze.

All tucked away and files in order.

Golden.

.

.

.

Jack sat waiting for their judgments and was surprised when it was Ianto who chose to speak first.

"She was acting out of love, for all the cruelty she was thinking it was the right thing to do" Ianto pointed out, "I …I think the Cop outweighs the Agent too much."

"You talk like she is the one with another personality in her, not you" Jack said. Then saw Ianto's pain flare and felt shitty for it, "Hey, I didn't mean it like that."

"I know" Ianto looked down at his lap, making Jack feel a right bastard.

Great.

"Well, I vote we feed her to the fucking furnace" Owen said smugly, folding his arms and screwing his face up, then he sagged, "Nah, not really. Sh is a stupid mare though."

"We should have taken Rhys on" Ianto snorted, then looked up at the silent table. "What."

"You said…shit. He's right!" Owen sat up straighter, "I vote we swap them around, she can bugger off back to the beat and we take Rhys on instead!"

"She might buck the Retcon if she stays in Cardiff. The triple strength would be needed" Jack reminded gently, "It would be all or nothing. If we take Rhys, we might have to do her back to bloody infancy and dump her somewhere. We couldn't have both. It has to be Rhys' decision."

.

.

.

.

Rhys stood looking at the screen as Gwen sat in the cell, blinking into space with her hair still sticking up like an extra from some witch movie.

"She…she really potted you?" Rhys asked Ianto, "With all that's happened she went and told Unit you have…what is it again?"

"Orin is an entity that was inside the space whale" Ianto explained for the third time, "The Whale was dying so when I fell against the whale in my own death throes he saw that he could heal me instead and moved over to do so."

"Christ" Rhys huffed, "I thought the gun had misfired."

"No" Ianto said flatly, his hand going to the back of his neck as it always did when he was stressed.

"But…he saved you" Rhys frowned, "He's friendly, right? I mean, if he wanted to take over he would have moved on to Jack!"

They all looked at Rhys as his comment sank in and Owen nodded, "You know what? You are fucking right! Bloody hell, he's right. He could have taken Jack and then we would have been buggered. Jack knows shit we will never know or understand."

"Jack has knowledge that could change the course of this world" Orin's deep chocolaty voice made Rhys blink, "If I were to take him, and I may be able to I could be more powerful than…well. Someone we do not speak of. After all, that Year was reversed."

Everyone stared at him as Jack cleared his throat, "How do you know about that?"

"Ianto told me" Orin said with a roll of his eyes that said he was picking up habits, "He had a special drawer marked 'NO' and he refused to look when I did. There were some disturbing things in there I can never un-see."

"Well….shit" Rhys huffed.

"Look, we have several choices here" Jack tried to pull them back into line "Rhys. You can choose to leave with Gwen and we set you up with new lives, memory implants of something mildly traumatic that made you leave Cardiff and we never existed."

"We kill her and you work for us!" Owen said eagerly and Tosh slapped him.

"Or, we only Retcon Gwen and send her back to basics in Heddlu, you come work for us and we plant a trigger word so we can reactivate her if we need her back. By then maybe you can control her or…not." Ianto said and Rhys realized the welsh accent was him back. "She stays Heddlu and in time we bring her in to liaise maybe but never back into the team, she never knows this happened."

"Well, quite a set of choices" Rhys sighed, "So. We both go bye-bye. Just her by bye-bye. Or she go sabbatical and I come on board in her place?"

"Well….yeah!" the team nodded and Rhys leaned back as he tried to think it over constructively.

He hadn't realized an offer like that could be so…alluring..

.

.

.

Jack was still wondering what to do and after a few minutes of swinging in his chair he rose to go talk to Gwen, hoping she had something to say…shed some light on what the hell she had been thinking.

"Gwen" he said softly and she slowly turned to look at him blinking slowly. "What are we going to do, aye?"

"He's a threat" she replied.

"Gwen…"

"Jack, look at me. Is there any way, if your brain was working properly he would be the one in your bed instead of me?" her face was serene as she spoke as if he was the one having some sort of mental episode, "He is not one of us anymore. He is …look. It's like a disease. He's infected with a virus. A bug."

She started to laugh at her joke, "A bug. A worm. Look, seriously, you need to put a bullet in his head…well…another bullet in his head. One that really works this time then come back and we can talk. We can still fix this. I can still make this work for us."

Jack blinked as he leaned against the glass, "What about Rhys?"

"He'll never know any different" she smiled happily, thinking he was agreeing, "He can go home to his parents, we will just knock him to the head and some Retcon to take the last few years. Say I was murdered and he was mugged, Ianto can find a body to…oh. Wait. Um. Who will we get to do his job now!"

"Oh God" Rhys' voice made Jack swing to find Rhys standing there with a look of horror, Owen a few steps behind with a grim frown. "Gwen. You are willing to Retcon me away?"

"No!" she screamed, "No. Rhys, get me out. They are all aliens, we are under attack… Ianto …Ianto is …er…hello Ianto."

"Hello Gwen" Ianto glided around the others to stand next to Jack, "I brought down a jacket for you, I know you hate the cold."

"Oh. Thank you pet" she smiled.

"He is not a pet" Jack said, "How many times must I ask you not to call him that?"

She shrugged, "Well, he is certainly yours. I think he is yours, or are you his? Maybe…"

"That's enough" Rhys snapped, turning to leave.

"Rhys? Don't let him near you, he will control you too!" she yelled and Rhys shuddered before turning back to face her.

"Is he controlling you?" Rhys demanded.

"No!" Gwen sniffed, "I'm too smart for the likes of him!"

"And propositioning Jack just then?" Rhys canted his head, "That was all you then?"

Gwen saw she was trapped in her own lies and she roared as Rhys left, walking sadly up to the main hub.

"Take your time, think it over." Jack patted his shoulder.

"No. I have, she just put the exclamation point on it for me" Rhys sat, "Look. We were in trouble before you came along. She hates the footy, hates Banana Boat, hated Andy and he's really a nice guy, seems she hates anyone who doesn't pander to her and we were bickering about stupid stuff. Then you guys came along and she got…well…smug. I didn't recognize her, ya know?"

"I am sorry Rhys" Ianto said softly as he sat and placed a hand on the man's knee, "I know you were hoping for a wedding soon."

"Yeah well, bloody idiot me!" Rhys huffed sadly.

"What do you want" Ianto asked softly.

"I want …fuck. I want out. Out of this…this…waste of our time" Rhys rubbed his face, "You can really take her memories, back a few years, like she wanted to with me?"

"Yes" Jack answered before anyone else could, "We can put her back in the Heddlu with a cover story that she was away on a special ops thing and her memory wiped by MI8 or some shit. She would never question something that made her look good."

"MI8?" Rhys asked, "Really?"

"Don't be silly" Jack laughed, "Nah. We use that as something to blame. No. Doesn't exist but the underworld thinks it does."

"Well" Rhys slumped, "That just leaves me with all my memories and nothing to do."

"Well…that lasagna of yours is unbeatable" Ianto pointed out, then straightened as he glanced over at Jack, "you know…with all the extra work this is going to make for me with her out of action I will need someone to help me out. Liaise with Heddlu and do the basics. Man the tourist office…lunch…basic work here. All admin, no fieldwork. Interested?"

Jack grinned as he watched Rhys' face change, the prospect of staying in touch with the people he had found more fun than a barrel of monkeys appealing to him.

"I was hoping to ramp back Hardwoods" he admitted, "Sick to death of the new Toll bullshit and head office keeps holding back the performance payments."

"Well, go part-time and come in here part-time" Jack offered. "If you like it we can address your needs."

"And Gwen?" Tosh asked with honest worry on her face.

"I don't know if I want to …no" he said with finality, "A clean break. No, I don't want to trigger something like last time and honesty? I don't know her anymore anyway."

"I am sorry to hear that" Ianto leaned back and Jack smiled softly at him as they agreed.

.

.

Ianto stood on the bow as the boat came close enough to nose the dock and he leapt gracefully to the dock, walking along without waiting for Jack who found himself floundering to solid ground with an unnatural nervousness.

He ran after him and caught up as the door swung open and a heavy set black woman stepped out to greet them.

"Ianto!" she said with delight.

"Hello Helen" he replied calmly as Jack skidded to a halt and flapped his coat like a rooster adjusting his feathers.

"Captain" she said with mirth evident as she took in his disheveled appearance and the way he stepped closer to Ianto with a possessive hand sliding around his waist. She didn't wait for his reply, choosing to swing and re-enter the building.

Jack let Ianto go first, gallant right? Nah, he was a beat out of sync again and once again found himself putting in a wee burst of speed to catch up. Ianto's hand sliding into his as they walked more than made up for it though and the gentle squeeze was a boon.

As they neared a door Ianto slowed and frowned, "Already?"

"Yes, his cycle was halved with the full moon" she sighed in reply, "I fear his time draws closer."''

"As it does for us all Dear Heart" Ianto said as he canted his head to listen and Jack heard the faint screaming inside, the name scrawled on the door was 'Jonas' and Ianto's look of sorrow seemed to say it all as he stepped back and cleared his throat.

Jack reached out to touch the door and felt a heat, pulling his hand back. He remembered now. One of his least pleasant catches.

They moved on, coming to one of the newer ones who seemed calmer than Jack remembered her to be. She was sitting in the sun rocking and as Ianto approached Jack watched his demeanor change and he knew instinctively that Orin was taking control as he knelt and said something that sounded like baby gibberish. The woman's face was one of relief as she responded and he sat with her holding her hands and having the nonsense conversation as Helen waited, another woman that looked identical coming to join and Orin rose to address them.

"Hello Margaret, she does not like the green things on the plate. I am unsure for definite but do believe it is peas she speaks of. On the planet she was held on there were little bugs that looked identical and they gave a nasty bite. It worries her" Orin's chocolaty voice purred and Helen's twin sister nodded as she made notes in a pad, "Secondly, I do like that colour on you. Pretty girls, the both of you."

Now Jack gaped as he saw a soft blush, both of them …giggling? Huh?

 _A wink at the boss man to close his mouth and on to the next one._

A little boy, his eyes wide and unseeing. Orin hated this one and touched gently hoping for a better response this time and there was a soft grunt as the child accepted the hands and Orin sang a song in a strange language as they watched.

"He was like a wild animal, couldn't' get near him" Helen explained, "Remember? You brought him in a cage? Ianto here had been working with him and we are now able to get closer. Still starts like a rabbit though."

Orin rose and faced the woman, his smile genuine as he told them that the child felt loved and safe now. Was only afraid of one of the other residents that sometimes barked. The dog in question slunk out the door and Jack knew in time that would be fixed.

"Maybe a little one?" he suggested, "A wee terrier or something so the boy can hold it? Love it? Then understand that they make that sound?"

"Wonderful Cariad" Orin said as he waved a hand at the women, "We can try that for sure. Didn't Duncan mention last trip that his sheltie had popped a litter?"

The two women made happy noises as they agreed about the orderly's litter and now they were rolling.

Three more and Orin can to a stop and frowned, "When did this one get here?"

"Jack brought him the other night, seems shell-shocked" Margaret spoke softly, touching his arm affectionately.

"I smell something familiar on him, not like Lucy. Is he?" Orin swung to look at them like he was accusing them and they looked nervous. "Damn it."

He strode over and knelt, raising her face by placing a finger under her chin, the silent staring contest unnerving and then he said something unexpected, "Sound off Solder!"

"I did my duty, I secured the box Sir" she whimpered, "I contained the threat."

Ianto rose, shooting his cuffs in a familiar way as Orin slid back to seethe. Ianto sighed and rolled his head in his shoulder and then turned to face them, his face not the anger or Orin but the sorrow of a good Welshman.

"Unit" he said softly, "She's Unit. Something she's touched or come in contact with had addled her mind. I would say within the last month. I could only hold her attention for a few moments before she slipped away again. They dumped her and she is most likely not the only one sir. I suggest we check facilities for these cases back inland. I would say she escaped a holding facility for those effected and there will be more."

"Her? But she looks...I'll get Tosh on it" Jack frowned at the heavy set man who seemed to have swapped bodies or something, "A Unit platoon?"

"Five" Ianto agreed, "Looks like she was part of a retrieval team. Couldn't get much more than a containment box and a weird green glow from her thoughts. She's still terrified at the pain it caused. Mind control perhaps? Something similar. They did not inform us and as we got no royal file I assume they didn't report it to her either."

"Right" Jack took a deep breath as he took charge again, "Unit. Goody. Just what I wanted to round out the month. A good go at Unit. Good for the juices!"

Jack helped Ianto back into the boat and Ianto stepped in close, stealing a gentle kiss before sliding into the cabin and the two women tittered softly as Helen spoke, "Knew it! He called you Cariad back there while distracted. Well I never. Always the pretty ones."

Jack grinned up at them and saluted as he called out to them the boat pulling away, "Always my lovelies. After all …you still make a man like me dream! Ahhhhhh Twins!"

The two women howled with glee as the boat turned and headed back inland and Jack entered the cabin to find Ianto already trying on his laptop.

"You OK love?" Jack asked as he settled into a seat to watch.

"Hot bath to wash the weirdness off and I'll be fine" Ianto answered without looking up, "Always freaks me out going there. Always waiting for the day I see my own name on a door."

"Never gonna happen" Jack said firmly. "Your name is on my door back at home. Both your names."

Ianto glanced up finally, looking at Jack long and hard before a soft smile transformed his face.

"Twypsn" he muttered, the affection dripping off the word.

Jack grinned and nodded.

Totally stupid for him.

.

.

.

.

Gwen was liking her new home, her new pink walls and pink bedding. She loved her job and was sorry things hadn't worked with that man she had dated but her parents seemed happy enough to have her home.

The head injury seemed to linger, they said she might never regain her memories but her parents were so pleased to have her move back to London with them.

She never gave Rhys or Cardiff a backward glance.

.

.

.

Jack sat watching the UNIT General settle in his chair and then his aides settled as well.

Ianto swept in and placed the file in front of Jack then stepped back to stand with his hands primly clasped. Jack felt the reassuring presence at his shoulder and smiled politely at the General, leaning back to show he was comfortable already.

The General began to speak like he had control of the room, "Well, we would like to talk to you today about one of your inmates. You plucked him two nights ago and my team were close to apprehending him as…"

"No" Jack said firmly.

"Excuse me?"

"No. No, you are not excused and no I will not be discussing the blowfish" Jack said as he let a hand fall on the file Tosh had given Ianto to bring in. "We will be discussing the Daemon Ritus."

"Excuse me?" the General said again and Jack frowned.

"The Daemon Ritus. For godsake man, did you not see Scooby doo Spooky Island?" Jack snorted, "There was this Daemon Ritus thingy, if you all touched it when it was active you all got your spirits pulled out of your bodies and shuffled. You know, body swapping. Had that Mister Bean fella in it. Not bad really."

The General opened his mouth again and closed it before saying the same words for the third time.

"So. The point is, they all needed to touch the thing again to swap back, but it didn't work right for a few times, shuffle, shuffle, shuffle" Jack smiled happily as his fingers danced in the air, "How many times did you let them touch it before you admitted defeat. I am guessing a little team like that must have quite a few variations. I'm sure Toshiko could give me the numbers."

"How…you have one" the General finally caught one, "You found the soldier we …lost."

"Lost. Yes. That's right luckily the others weren't" Jack smiled again, "You see, you have them in three different locations. Well, those still alive. Pity, some can't handle a situation like that. So. These three left over, I want them. You hand them over along with the Daemon Ritus thingie and we'll consider the matter closed."

The General finally spoke.

"Over my dead body!" he roared, "UNIT soliders, UNIT tech!"

"Really?" a prim voice chirped from the speaker sitting in the middle of the table and the General glanced down with confusion, "General Frost, we do believe you left this little mishap out of your report as we had not heard of this until the Captain filled us in."

"Ma'am?"

"I expect a full report chop, chop. Oh and you let the Captain have whatever he needs to fix this, if it is possible with some of them dead. Unfortunate, lucky that they were pairs. One killed himself and the one who had swapped saw that there would never be a chance to return to their body so followed suit. Seems those left might still have a chance of shuffling to the correct body."

"Yes Ma'am" the General whimpered as he swallowed.

"Oh and Mister Jones?"

"Your Majesty?" Ianto bowed politely and the General realized there must be cameras as he looked around wildly, "thank you for that file. Please tell Miss Sato it was remarkably detailed."

Ianto hummed softly and then canted his head, the voice chance making the General start as the deep chocolate voice rumbled, "I live to serve. Please let me know if you require further assistance in understanding the item and its powers."

"What a lovely boy" she sighed and then a click ended her call, Jack swinging in his chair as Orin stepped forward to stand beside him, a hand falling on Jack's shoulder as Orin spoke again.

"Your kind have a name" Orin growled, "Necromancer. One who takes the souls of the dead. You are no better than the Daemon Ritus as Jack calls it. Only difference is, it is indestructible. You are not."

"I think he is trying to say that you are on thin ice there, Frosty Old Boy" Jack suggested happily, enjoying the growing alarm on the faces of those around the table, "I suggest you get those soldiers here quick smart before we test some of our own tech on you."

Orin's warm hand was calming, stopping the snarl that was forming and Jack returned to the smiley Cheshire Cat. Thank the gods Orin had recognized the symbols from the garbled memories of that poor soul. The item a plaything for children of a planet he had stopped at while Piloting.

"It looks like you ran afoul of something with wicked claws" Ianto said dreamily with his soft Welsh vowels filling the room with mirth.

Jack threw his head back and roared with laughter at the Cheshire Cat quote.

Yes.

The General ran afoul.

And he was silly enough to think it was Jack with the claws, not the one in the three piece suit smiling more like the Mona Lisa.

.

.

.

 **SMUT AERT FOR THIS CHAP!**

Ianto stood staring into space, his hair still dripping for the shower as Jack stood in the doorway of the shower block.

For a few long heartbeats they stared each other down.

Jack had no idea how to explain the unexplainable other than to admit what he felt went deep. Primal deep. Out of his control. He was ready to kill for him. Die for him. Dangerous.

"Screw it." Jack grabbed the bottom edge of his shirt and yanked it over his head then wrapped his hands around Ianto's neck and drew him to his mouth for a hard kiss. Tongue, teeth and lips mashed together as they fought each other for control.

His need to possess consumed him as he plundered the warm recess of Ianto's mouth.

Several minutes later he paused long enough for them to breathe.

Ianto shook his head for a moment before he stole another kiss by thrusting his tongue between Jack's lips for an exploration of his own. Tunneling his hands through Jack's hair, he gripped the strands tight and tugged him closer. The pleasure of the kiss blew Jack away, licking at his skin until he believed it would burst into flame.

Maybe they were on fire, who could tell.

He wanted him and he wasn't about to fight the connection another second.

Thrusting against him, his cock begged for release. The fabric from his pants rubbed with Ianto's crotch to increase the friction against his sensitive skin, heating him further as a shudder coursed through his body. More skin. He needed to touch more of his skin.

Now.

He reached for the towel at Ianto's waist.

He clawed at the damn towel until it pooled at their feet. He trailed his tongue down Ianto's neck, his teeth nipping at the tender skin of his shoulder before closing his teeth around a firm nipple until he yelped.

Jack licked and sucked until Ianto melted against him. Everything about him filled his senses, his sweet taste and especially the heady scent of their arousals in the air between them.

Ianto's knees buckled and Jack grabbed him around the waist to steady him.

"Oh, God," Ianto whispered.

The heat of his words gave Jack so much more pleasure than he expected. Watching him writhe and whimper as he worked his flesh made him impossible to resist. When Ianto spread his legs a little further it was Jack's turn to whimper.

He swallowed each breathy sound as he slid a finger behind those swinging balls to the brush and slick the hole. He zeroed in on that most sensitive spot, smiling against his mouth when Ianto's hips rose to greet him.

Jack smiled and slid a finger inside him. His eyes got impossibly wider as a low wail filled the room.

"Goddess you're tight Tiger."

Ianto whimpered before reaching between them and pulling at the button on Jack's jeans. Jack grabbed his wrists and stopped him. After a warning look, he slid down in front of him so his head was level with Ianto's bare belly. For a few agonizing seconds he simply stared at the indentation, teasing him, before he leaned forward and swirled his tongue inside the tiny button.

"Not yet," he said. Seconds later, he flipped him around and roughly pushed him against the nearby wall as he slid a finger back in.

"Like that, baby?" He slid in a second finger and pushed deep. He sure as fuck did. He was fighting against the instinct to shove his cock in him instead of his fingers and ride him rough.

Jack pushed against the driving need. He wanted to draw this out more than that. Ianto's pleasure was paramount.

But this position...

He was facing the wall, which left his beautiful arse ripe for the taking. He couldn't pass up this opportunity to play. He traced his finger along the seam of his bottom, while his other hand worked his fingers in and out. Then he reached arond to grasp that wonderful swinging dick.

"This is mine," he said. He leaned forward and scraped his teeth between Ianto's shoulder blades. Ianto quivered underneath him while his heart beat wildly. The sound of his pulse pulled at Jack. The temptation he offered had Jack panting for breath as he tried to focus on getting air in and out of his lungs while his body vibrated with need. He grabbed Ianto's hair and pulled his head back so he could bury his nose in his neck.

Hot, sweet and slick.

He wanted him wrapped around his dick.

Ianto's whimpers turned to cries as Jack gripped the skin of his neck between his teeth and moved his fingers faster. His other hand now pumping Ianto's dick.

Ianto's climax was coming.

His muscles tightened a moment before he screamed, flying apart underneath him. Jack's body reacted, swelling to the point of pain. Jack breathed through the violence rising inside him. He squeezed his eyes shut and savoured the sensations surrounding him. When Ianto's wave peaked, he increased the speed of his thrusts, sending Ianto over the edge into climax once again.

It felt like flying, falling.

When Ianto's legs gave out, Jack lifted him into his arms and cradled him against his chest. Ianto clung to him as his breathing finally slowed and he went completely lax.

"You're so damned hot, I could watch you come all night. And your scent. Fuck, baby. I can practically taste your sweetness."

Jack stood to his full height, drawing Ianto's naked body against his still fully clothed form. He should have taken his clothes off but there was no time or patience for that now. Not when all he could think about was getting inside him.

Jack ripped at the front of his jeans until the button gave way and the zipper worked free. The spunk smell was now strong as Jack's pheromones filled the space from the soiled fabric. Small whimpers sounded in Ianto's throat as Jack jostled them in place. He distracted him by lightly scraping the curve of his neck with his teeth, further inflaming both their need.

Ianto didn't say a word, but the next thing he knew Ianto was turned to face him and wrapped around him as he was burrowing into Ianto's scorching heat.

"Fuck." He bellowed the word while pulling him down in one rough thrust.

Buried to the hilt he felt scorched alive.

He couldn't breathe and he couldn't move.

Mine.

It was the only word that made sense.

"Always Cariad."

.

..

So, it took a while for UNIT to give up their prizes and it was without fanfare that they were delivered to the Plass and dumped there in the foggy morning air.

"Hello" Ianto said as kindly as he could, watching them all look around as if expecting more and he knew before Orin whispered it in the back of his mind. No one had told them there had been deaths. Ianto led them to the meeting room and let them settle, withdrawing to tell Jack who had been watching from his office. He had hoped having Ianto as first contact might help ease them, his own reputation might be a bit daunting. He stared at Ianto with disbelief as Ianto whispered it to him.

"What do you mean they don't know" Jack replied, "You mean….ah shit. We have vessels and souls that don't match?"

"I have a horrible feeling so" Ianto nodded as he watched his Captain pace. "I have to tell them, Owen should be on standby in case of hysteria. I feel there is at least one in there who seeks their body and can't see it."

They told Owen expecting his usual outrage and instead there was only sorrow, "Poor bastards. Shit, the wankers have had them in dark cages."

Ianto entered the room and chose a seat, followed by Tosh and Owen. The arrival of Jack made them all leap to their feet and Ianto waved for them to sit back down as Jack slid in to sit beside Ianto.

"There has been further injustice at the hands of your Commanding Officer" Ianto said calmly, "I believe you are unaware of the reason for the absence of some of your colleagues?"

"Yeah" a brassy woman said, her voice unusually deep, "I'm Lieutenant Daniel Monroe. Where the hell is Clifton!"

"Clifton" Owen said, touching the screen on the wall and an image appeared of one of the suicides, his face serene. "Harris and Merril."

Images of another man and a woman appeared on screen and a man towards the back made a strangle noise as he grasped at his throat with horror.

"Shit. Merril" the woman turned to the man, "I am so sorry Nancy."

"Bastard" he snarled stumbling to a chair, "So. What happened, he…just…killed me?"

"Nancy? Nancy Mereil" Orin said with a soft cant of his head, "The man who had your body couldn't handle the jibes and taunts of the others and took his life. Your vessel was…damaged."

"Where did your accent go?" the lieutenant leaned forward.

"I am Orin. Ianto's Pilot" he answered, "Ianto is my host. We live in this vessel together. We…coexist."

"Shit" the lieutenant sat heavily, his tits wobbling and he growled , "Fuck Annie, I don't know how you control these bloody air bags."

"What will I do?" Nancy asked as he sat as well, "I…I have no body to go back to."

"OK" Orin said calmly, "We have choices. This is not the end. Look, the vessel that your soul belongs to is gone but there is now a vessel now with no driver. You can take that."

"No"

"Pardon?"

"I hate redheads. Why the hell would I want to be one."

"I'll swap with you!" one leaned forward, "I hate being the youngest, looking like a bloody kid all the time. Swap. I like his body, all abs and tan. I always envied that body. I will give you my one, it is only twenty years old."

Nancy looked at him silently as Orin and Ianto agreed it was a good swap, Nancy had been in her early fifties, old by any standard and if not or her above average IQ and scientific degree she would not have made the team in the first place. A chance at a second go around?

"Deal!"

"So, we can't call you Nancy if you are changing to a male" Ianto's vowels startled them again then there was nervous laughter.

"No." there was silence, "I don't like Meril either."

"Nigel? Like Nance? Or Clancy?"

"Corny."

"Drew?" Ianto asked, "Nancy Drew? Still you?"

"Oh! I like it!" he smiled with relief, "Yes. Drew. Yes. I was called Nancy Drew at high school by my friends."

"Good, settled!" Jack slapped the artifact on the table, "Now…get to it and start swapping, once you have your own body step back."

Orin warned Ianto to step well back, as did the others and they watched the lightning bolts strike each person and cursing, more strikes, then a man staggered back with a look of relief followed by the large breasted Annie.

Three more and they all stepped back, Drew looking at his new hands with wonder.

"Right, you've been like this for a few weeks right?" Owen barked, "So you all want a good shit, feed and sleep in your own bodies again. Sorry Drew, I mean the rest of you will want to check yourselves for damage. No suing each other, ok?"

"Drew, perhaps you would like some time to acquaint yourself with your new vessel" Orin said kindly, "I find a shower to explore, then food to see the taste buds and their preferences is best. We can work everything else out as we go."

"I…I don't know what to say" Drew said with open sorrow, "This is such a mess."

"Well, at least you aren't the redhead, right?" Owen pointed out and finally Drew smiled.

"Yes Doctor Harper, there is that"

Ianto and Orin had a conversation that had Ianto eye rolling as Jack watched and waited, then Ianto addressed him.

"We can't give her back. They will not accept her and will examine her then play with her" Ianto said then frowned, "I apologize Drew, do you wish to be referred to as 'he' or 'she' that was rude to assume."

"I guess…I guess I'm a he now" Drew shrugged, "At least I feel more like a man with the weight in my pants. Shit, how do you contain these swinging things?"

"You were already in a male body" Ianto whispered and Drew rolled his eyes now.

"Like…pinkie. Ya know? Like…pimple." He screwed his nose up, "I had trouble learning to pee with it. Was best to sit down still."

Ianto looked at him and then threw his head back, roaring with laughter as everyone stopped talking to turn and look at them.

Jack looked at Owen and nodded, Owen huffing as he pulled out a file.

If he was about to add this woman…man into Torchwood's systems as a guest he better find out if the qualifications fit their team.

At least he knew one thing for sure.

He sure liked Ianto.

.

.

It was a week later, the rest of the team had been shuffled away and Drew was now left with the choice of either going with them, or staying.

It hadn't taken him long to realize things could never be the same with the team, especially since the young man whose body she now inhabited had been treated like shit by the others…her included.

Drew was standing in front of the mirror knotting the tie as Ianto entered and slowed, frowning as he recognized it as one Jack had bought him and he hesitated, then decided it didn't matter placing down the shoes, "I think these are the right size."

"Thank you" Drew smiled, his young face still shiny from the shower.

"I will have to teach you how to shave soon" Ianto said softly, "But you seem clean shaven at the moment, they gave you an electric by the look of it."

"Yeah, itches" Drew wrinkled his nose, "But on the plus size I don't have to shave me legs anymore."

"Well, most don't" Ianto said calmly and Drew blinked, then snorted with mirth.

"I still have to get used to this new body, the last one was…roomier if ya get my meaning, but it is nice to see my feet…the dick is a surprise every time still too." Drew rambled as he fiddled with the tie and Ianto realized it was a defense mechanism.

Orin wanted to speak.

"All things take time and you must remember that all vessels are unique" Orin's deep voice purred, "To move to an entirely new concept, be it a sex change or species change, you should always give yourself time to adjust. It is normal to be frustrated and even disappointed. Things will work, you just need to give yourself a break if it takes time. I find a younger boy is harder because it doesn't have as many muscle memories. Older bodies have a gait, their joints more worn and it is easier to find a rhythm."

"The others, they made it OK?" Drew asked, glancing at Orin and it was Ianto who returned to answer.

"All there and enjoying the seaside" Ianto smiled softly, surprising Drew with the transition from one to the other, "The retreat is wonderful apparently. The Retcon took them back to your last mission before this mess. They believe you died along with those others missing and are mourning you. They accept they have been retired with honors and revel in fixing up the old hippy commune. I think they might have a great summer backpackers when they are all done."

"And no contact?"

"No. As per the exit packages they are happy with their new identities and as they keep most of their memories prior to the switching they will not break protocols, therefore will not break Retcon."

"We talked about it" Drew said sadly, "One day we would retire and move out there to do just that. Here I am, second chance to live a long life and I'm jealous now. Bastards won't even miss me."

"I am sure they will, at least…the old you" Ianto said softly "You can't think of yourself as that person now. You are Drew, you have to settle into that person. Look at it as a pervious life, this is a rebirth, a new one."

"Thank you for helping me" Drew said as they walked onto the main hub. Drew hooking his hand into Ianto's elbow.

Jack turned to watch and his face hardened as he saw the hand, making Ianto look down with surprise.

"That's something else you need to work on" Ianto said as he gently extracted the hand, "You are a man now. Not a woman and as such, you need to act differently and be accepted that way."

"God" Drew huffed, "I hate my hands. Look at the wrists. So big and hairy. Why do men have hairy hands?"

Ianto laughed as he pushed Drew gently on the shoulder and Jack's frown deepened.

"Come on coffee!" Ianto said.

"OK muffin" drew responded and Ianto sniggered as they left the hub and headed into the kitchen.

Jack stomped up to his office to stew.

Maybe he had been a bit hasty accepting drew into their team.

He liked Ianto a little too much for his liking.

.

.

Ianto settled on the edge of the desk and wondered why Jack was so keen on a file about butterflies with pink feet, then he realized he was being ignored.

Really?

"Jack" Ianto said softly, "what's wrong. You aren't having second thoughts about Drew now, are you?"

Trust Ianto to hit the nail on the head like that, making Jack wince as he glanced up.

"Ianto, I…no. I know he needs you know and I just have to adapt" Jack shrugged, "Selfish. I can get over it, I know I can. He needs you and I know you and your need to help. No, it's ok. Just don't use our room, yeah? Just his? I don't want to hear it."

Ianto frowned as he tried to keep up with Jack, his anger growing as he realized Jack was giving him a pass.

"Can I have that in writing then?" Ianto asked politely and Jack looked up with confusion.

"If I'm to have a pass here, you know some hot sweaty sex without you getting all pouty and shit I need that in writing that it won't affect my yearly review" Ianto sipped his coffee as he watched Jack struggle with his temper behind the desk.

"Of course" Ianto continued as he lowered the cup, "The fact I only want anything resembling sex with you is besides the point right? Oh no, we have a new team member, best give him the real experience here at Torchwood, we'll have something try to eat him, another bite him up a wee bit and Ianto gives wonderful head ya know. Looks good in a suit doing it."

Ianto slammed the cup down sloshing the coffee over the side, rising from the edge of said desk to stalk form the room and he hesitated in the doorway, "You know what? You sit there all morose and thinking about eating your gun sometimes…ever stop to think I so too? Knowing I won't bounce back, I have tasted gun oil too! Nice to know I am expendable to you!"

Ianto slammed the door shut so hard the coat on the rack swung from the sonic wave.

Jack sat staring at the cup for a long time.

"You two having a tiff then?" Owen asked as he and Drew looked up from Owen's screen, "Did you starch his boxers again or something?"

"Fuck off" Ianto snarled and Owen let the hand controller from the game they were playing drop into his lap with shock, then he struggled from the chair to follow him.

"Oi, hey Tea boy, what happened?" Owen demanded, "Yan!"

"He…he fucking gave me a hall pass!" Ianto waved an arm wildly as he turned from the sink he had been furiously scrubbing for some reason, "Like Drew needs that on top of everything else. Hey, new body. Wanna try it out?"

Owen nodded and turned to head up to the office where Jack was still blinking at the cup.

"So? You wanted to watch?" Owen said as he flopped into the chair opposite, "Or was this you saying you didn't want to find them in a dark corner and look like a fool?"

Jack focused in him and opened his mouth to tell him to fuck off but find himself agreeing, "Makes sense. Nice looking guy, seems smitten with Yan."

"And what about Yan?" Owen asked as he examined his boot sole, "He's not a stress relief ya know, he is actually a real live boy."

Jack snorted and then let his head fall to the desk top, "I'm a tool."

"Agreed" Ianto said from the doorway, "Is that true? You think I want to and you didn't want to be hurt so you make it OK?"

Jack shrugged, "Sorry. Just…I don't own you. I don't…."

"Don't what" Ianto demanded.

"Don't want to lose you" Jack slumped, "I…I need you."

"Oh Jack" Ianto sighed as he sat on the desk in the same spot as before, "Drew is confused, still a woman who is turned by a young man in a suit. There is still a need to learn transition. I would never act on it, neither would Drew. This is just a simple matter of clinging to the nicest one."

"You are the nicest" Jack agreed as he smiled weakly.

"Jack, you are the nicest for me" Ianto smiled as he slid over so his thigh was touching Jack's arm, "You are my cuddle bear. Always."

"Sorry" Jack whispered as he moved his arm to hug the leg, "You know I am terribly jealous. Even poor Andy gets snarled at for accepting your coffee."

"Jack, I will never…ever want to 'welcome' anyone else. I barely accept you going out to see others."

Jack looked at him with surprise, "I do not!"

"What?"

"Ianto, I've not been with anyone else since you accepted me" Jack said softly, "I am faithful. Honest, I might flirt and have fun, I love having fun but you are the only mate in my bed. Period."

Ianto's eyes widened as he stares at Jack, "What did you call me?"

"My mate" Jack shrugged, "You are, aren't you?"

"Yes" Ianto sputtered before seizing Jack's face and kissing him passionately.

"Fuck warn a man before that shit goes on" Owen complained as he rose to leave, "Bloody perverts."

Owen smiled all the way down the stairs, skipping don two steps at a time.

Nobody liked it when Dad and Tad fought.

.

.

.

Drew was conflicted. I mean, this was something that she hadn't considered an option but had always admired in those strong enough to do so. To gender assign. Even as a little girl she had envied her brothers and their toys while staring at the dolls and frilly things with silent contempt.

Why did they get useful, exciting things she was not allowed to play with?

Now Drew stared at himself….yeah. Another adjustment. Him. Himself. He.

Drew blinked and let his hands stoke his taught chest, the tickle of chest hairs in his fingers wildly exciting as he knew this body could be bulked up, toned more and most importantly, these little breasts would not need get in the way.

He was a man.

How that hell did that happen, eh? So fast, everything so heated and at the time feeling so frantic and now…it was like a rebirth. Drew blinked as tears threatened and he stepped back so he could see more of himself, his…god. More than a handful. He knew all about dicks, had spent a lot of time admiring and pleasuring with them, though it was harder than you might think to find a partner willing to submit to a strap on and a crazy woman who only wanted to do 'back door' if ya know what I mean. It had made her a hard, no-nonsense and unaffectionate creature that looked for reasons to end relationships before they really started. None of them had felt right.

As his hands slid to his flat stomach and the little belly button he wondered what sex might feel like now, the sensations, those little nerve clusters in certain places and found himself getting quite…confused.

He looked down and found he was definitely more than a handful and his eyes widened as it….twitched.

"Ah, nothing like a morning soldier standing to attention is there" Jack said casually as he wandered into the shower block completely naked, "so nice to meet a fellow naturalist. Ianto scolds all the time like I might put an eye out with it or something. No like they've not seen me naked once or….heh heh…lots….You know, in my time we often don't bother with clothes as the body is not the thing of mystery it once was. After all, we all have to shit sometime, right?"

As Jack talked he fiddled with the taps and Drew gaped as he landed in to feel the water, his huge dick swinging low enough for Drew to imagine it might touch his knee.

SHIT

"Ah, nice and hot, Ianto doesn't like it this hot and it was a sweaty night so sometimes we shower separately, shame really I like morning showers with him but he's a bit tetchy. Didn't get a lot of sleep last night, the anniversary of Canary Warf coming up. He always has bad dreams and I think him and Orin wanted some alone time to talk it over. Orin still doesn't get that people are bastards, ya know?"

Drew watched that huge dick get an absent minded stroke as Jack felt the water again, then stepped in. He watched Jack lean back against the tiles and sigh as he seemed to …

"It's like milking a cow?" Drew said out loud and the hand stilled, Jack rolling his head to look at him then came the deep booming laughter.

"Different strokes for different folks, if ya get what I mean" Jack laughed, "I like it like this though. Squeeze as the base, then let the finger slide down and…ahhhhhh. Nice. Try it, pick a song you like and hum it, the tempo can help, that's how I learnt. An old song in my head that I could let my hand move to. Nothing wrong with pleasure Drew, we all deserve pleasure in our lives. Even if it's a quick tug in the shower. Fuck, life is short. It's good for you too, endorphins and shit. My little soldier is a greedy bastard like his Captain I'm afraid."

Drew considered and stepped under the water, momentarily startling Jack who laughed again as he realized this was how he was. Simply childlike with it all. He also saw how unfair he had been to Ianto thinking there was something between them. He saw it now. Drew was lost, looking for anything to tether to as he worked out his new world.

"that's right, try letting the heel of your hand touch the nob, then your little finger can ghost over the slit, that is like an electric shot if aroused enough" Jack offered, now watching Drew's face as he gasped under the spray.

Jack finally stepped out and wandered off dripping across the floor, back to his room where the bathroom door was open and Ianto stood under the lukewarm water staring into space, obviously communing.

Jack stepping in behind him and fingering him was lively surprise and after a moment of squealing and laughter, Ianto relaxed and Jack slid in to give his little soldier a mission, their panting and moaning soft as Ianto leaned back and exposed his throat, Jack kissing it as he held him against his chest and worshiped him inside and out.

"Drew was there, trying to work out how to tug" Jack said afterwards as Ianto washed shampoo out of his hair.

"Is he OK?" Ianto hesitated and Jack felt a swell of affection as he saw the nurturing man worry.

"Yeah, the hot water might be in high demand the next few mornings until he works out you can do it in the warmth of your own bed though" Jack sniggered.

"Aww, bless" Ianto sighed happily, "Our wee man had his first erotic experience."

"It is kind of like having a child, a big angry one" Jack blinked through his own shampoo. "Maybe if I look at it more like that I can stop being so bloody uncomfortable. It's not his fault, it's mine. He is innocent, so afraid and sweet. I see now love, I see. You will never see him as someone to take my place, I was silly and juvenile in thinking that. Sorry."

"I'm glad you see that now" Ianto smiled, "Drew is…Orin and I think Drew is gender fluid. I believe there was always a male aspect and now it's free there is confusion and maybe a little bit of fear."

"Well, don't worry" Jack assured his lovely Welshman as he breathed the crisp green apple air, "We can help him. I kinda like having a child with you. Our own baby boy, a healthy…180 pounds of bouncing boy."

Ianto laughed as he leaned against Jack and stole a kiss, "And will have your terrible humor I think given the quips last night about the PJs I offered."

"Yeah?" Jack smiled, "Sleeps neckid!"

"Stop saying that, it's naked, not neckid" Ianto scolded, "Sounds like an alien race."

"The Neckids are taking over the world" Jack intoned as they dressed, pausing with one leg in his pants to glace over at the bare arse of his love, "The Neckids are everywhere love, you never know where a Neckid might appear next."

"Stop it!" Ianto's voice was muted as he still had his back to him but the mirth was evident in the shoulders shaking as he struggled not to laugh.

"Neckid hunting anyone?" Jack sing-songed as he pulled on a shirt, "Neckids hiding in the bushes, at your two o'clock, look out. A Neckid is behind you. Deadly things those Neckids."

Finally Ianto gave in and started to giggle, sitting until it passed as he knew as well as Jack he couldn't focus on his shoe laces like that.

Jack grinned as he won.

Neckids rule!

.

.

Ianto was the first to notice a problem with their drizzly day meander across the Pass and down the side alley to the next street and the Fish 'n Chippy beyond the letter box.

"Drew, would you mind activating your coms and Telling Jack we might be a few minutes late" Ianto asked softly, "Tell him it's a big line or something."

"Why?" Drew asked…as I would. You would, right?

"Because he doesn't know if you are lying" Ianto snorted, "He knows my inflections now, I can't lie to him over coms."

Drew frowned but keys his coms, "Jack? We're a bit late, might be a while. A queue here."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Sorry" Drew winced and then waited as Jack sighed.

He wasn't falling for it.

"Just follow and try to keep up" Jack finally said and he clicked off, leaving Drew confused as he turned to talk to Ianto and found….nothing.

"Yan?"

Drew stepped towards an alley and heard a soft thump followed by a growl.

Ah fuck.

Drew considered calling the hub for help but then realized he was here. HE. Heh. Drew pulled out the taser and looked at it, then slid around a dumpster hissing Ianto's name. He peered around the next large dumpster and saw Ianto standing there in a combative position with a can of spray in his hand.

A weevil.

Shit, shit, shit.

Drew watched with horror as the weevil advanced and then he looked down at the milk crates, picking on up and hurling it at the creature's back. With a grunt of pain it swung and he realized he had now placed himself in its sights.

Ianto stood straight upright and threw a frown at Drew, then walked up to it and to Drew's shock Ianto punched it as hard as he could.

"Fuck!" Into spat, shaking his hand as e threw the empty spray canister at the weevil's head. "Bloody hell, the sprays aren't working, Owen has to change the consistency."

"Are you OK?" Drew asked and Ianto looked at him with surprise.

"Drew? Why are you not looking at the Weevil?"

Drew swung to find it way too close for comfort and he acted without thinking, kicking out and catching it in the crotch, finding great satisfaction as he yelped and staggered back.

It had thrown an arm out and Drew watched with horror as Ianto flew back against some garbage cans and crumpled in a heap in the trash.

Think.

Drew remembered his brother… older, bigger and a bully of a cunt.

Right.

Focus.

Drew crouched and ran at it as it stood over Ianto, seemingly surprised and as Ianto rolled to his hands and knees Drew was tackling the thing and it flew over Ianto to land with Drew in the same garbage cans Ianto had just climbed out of.

"Right! That's enough" the voice was not Ianto, Orin pissed as he grabbed the boiler suit and lifted the creature off Drew, heaving it into the dumpster behind him.

Dew shakily got to his feet and looked at Orin as he glanced back, then turned and started patting his pockets, "Slap me with a wet fish! Can you call for a clean up? I can't find our coms."

Drew called it in and then he found himself bending over to grab at his knees, the wind coming in short huffs as he had a wee bit of a panic attack.

"You OK there?" Ianto's voice, calm and soothing, "Bloody hell. Did it get you?"

"No, I just…" Drew laughed softly, "I just wrestled a bloody weevil."

"Did a good job too" Ianto smiled back, "Orin doesn't give praise easily and he tells me you are a keeper."

"Oh, er…ta" Drew spluttered, laughing as he tried to calm his pounding heart.

"It's just adrenaline, delayed shock" Ianto shot his cuffs and swore, "Goddamn it, I lost a cufflink. Shit a brick!"

When the SUV arrived both men were kicking garbage about and Jack stood back to watch for a while then called out, "You know, I know a lot of games all over the Verse but I don't recognize that one."

"It's called Find Ianto's Cufflink" Ianto snarked, kicking a can with force.

"Ahhhhh what ones were you wearing love?"

"My bloody teacups" Ianto huffed, "Ah bugger and piss!"

"Well, if we don't find it then you can match it to the cupcake one left over from the blowfish swim last month" Jack offered.

Ianto's glare told him he wasn't helping at all, nope. Decaf if he doesn't help.

Drew knelt in the garbage and looked up as Jack hooked Ianto's hand for a soft squeeze as they searched.

Gods, what a great day.

Drew had never felt so alive.

.

.

.

Flood lights illuminate a huge C5A transport plane waiting on the runway, its nose cocked open exposing its innards to the pouring rain. Several Unit men rapidly wheel equipment into the open hatch. A private pushes a dolly loaded with boxes with the Torchwood cross emblem up the ramp.

Owen is directing them as he keeps an eye out for the rest of the team, he hopes like hell Ianto can find all the gear he requested and a small voice tells him Ianto would not let him down.

A private grunts and pushes the dolly slowly up the ramp. Owen lends a hand, and the two of them run it up the ramp.

Drew clambers up the ramp, dressed in a Unit style uniform but with a deep crimson flat jacket that reeks of Ianto.

"Where the hell's the rest of them?" Owen demands and Drew shrugs.

"Still coming, apparently Ianto stayed back to gather the last of the gear" Drew explains, "Jack is doing a drop and run with this lot to then go back for them then Ianto will return the SUV to our base."

"We need him now! Who's going to read the electron micrographs?" Owen demands with open annoyance then starts as the team bursts from the darkness carrying bags. "Strap in."

"Anything I can do to help?" Drew asks as the huge jet engines come to life. Tosh, Jack, and Andy climb on board and strap themselves into the row of jump seats along the fuselage. Drew is filled with the excitement of a young kid who can't believe his luck: a real First Contact Moment…well, apart from Orin and for some reason he doesn't count.

Have you ever seen Berio-Virus infection in a human being?" Owen demands with open glee.

"No, sir." Drew shakes his head, leaning forward as Owen's hands start to animate, showing his level of wonderment, "It's about as pretty as going naked to feed Janet!"

"Whatever it is, I can handle it." Drew says with a naive stubbornness.

"I hope so, because if you can't, you'll make a mistake. You'll be holding a needle and it'll slip. Or your glove will have a crack in it and you won't notice. You work with Berio-Viruses, it's like working with plutonium. A single drop of blood can hold six billion... That's more Berio-Viruses than there are people in the world. You get a single one of those inside you, you're infected. Say you're lucky and it's one of the few Berio-Viruses we have antiserum for. Then we can treat you and you'll probably live. But say you're unlucky. And you get one of those Berio-Viruses we don't have an antiserum for, which is most of them. There's no medicine, no cure, nothing we can do to help you. Your body gets so hot, your liver, your kidney, all your vital organs melt, and your skin turns into tapioca pudding." Owen gives the speech to stunned silence.

"He means chocolate pudding." Jack calls out jovially and Owen grins back at him then points out the half raised ramp into the black beyond.

A figure carrying a duffel bag is sprinting toward them at incredible speed, like a ghost through the pelting rain. Without breaking stride, he leaps the four feet onto the plane and slides to a stop right in front of Jack. He steadies himself "Sorry Sir, you know I can't sleep at a strange facility without me eye mask and ear plugs. Owen is just too horrific in shared quarters."

Drew smiles slowly. He likes Ianto.

The wheels come up with a THUMP.

The giant jet shakes and rattles and soars into the air.

They settle for the flight as Jack hands out what satellite photos they already have of the crash site.

The ship looks mostly intact.

Drew doesn't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing.

He can't wait.

.

.

.

.

Tosh slips the clear helmet over Drew's head. He is covered from head to toe in BL-4 bio-safety suit. Ianto, dressed the same, looks on, amused.

Drew is starting to panic "How do you breathe in here?"

"With a respirator" Jack laughs through his own helmet "Positive pressure's what you want. Keep those buggers out."

Tosh flips the switch on Drew's respirator, which sucks air out of the atmosphere, filters it, and pumps it into the suit. He starts to swell up like a balloon. Drew snorts with amusement, "And I thought it was a hassle wearing a tie all day."

In the distance, we see the crash site in which numerous houses are burning. The small village has been obliterated.

"We got a lot of equipment. You're gonna have to get us in close." Jack tells the Unit soldier suited as well, already behind the wheel of a topless jeep.

"I... I don't want to get no disease, sir." He responds nervously.

"Then don't kiss me, Sergeant." Jack replies cheekily as the team climbs aboard, Jack reaching out to steady Ianto and he lets his hand rest for a moment or two.

"Drew" Owen calls out and once more gives a speech he must have rehearsed in his head on the flight over "if you fail to observe strict decontamination protocol, three things can happen. First, you can be fired. Second, you can die from this horrible disease. Third, and worst of all, you can incur my displeasure. You got it?"

"Yes, Owen"

"If one of us gets sick, we all get sick. And I didn't come here to die." Owen turns to look ahead as the Team approaches the village through the smoky haze in an old Volkswagen van.

"You're too late." A man calls out angrily as he strides towards them

"We immobilized as soon as we could!" Jack replies as he looks towards the village with sagging shoulders.

"It wouldn't have mattered when you came. This one is different -worse than Lassa, worse even than Ebola. It strikes and kills so fast. The young, the healthy, everybody." The man responds, "There was one survivor. He died three hours ago."

Owen moves ahead to the next bed and pulls aside the thin mosquito curtain to inspect the patient. Drew is right behind him. "Ahhhh shit."

"If ya gonna puke…don't. You can't take off the mask and it gets pretty uncomfortable full of puke" Owen mutters as he bends down to examine the villager.

The corpse's eyes are yellow and his flesh, speckled with hemorrhages, looks like pulp. Blood oozes from his nose and his nipples. Drew turns away in horror. "I'm gonna be sick."

Drew takes deep breaths to control his gut as Ianto takes his place next to Owen, "If anyone got out, they are dead, or will be soon. And if they have spread the disease, we will know rather quickly. "

"Our only hope is that this is like most viruses and that it has to live in a host, an animal, to which it's adapted over thousands of years. And that host has developed antibodies to protect itself against the virus. If we can identify the antibodies, we can use them to fight the disease in humans."

"Is it airborne?" Ianto is checking the PDA in his hands as Tosh sits primly on a crate working as well.

"I don't think so" she finally replies "But I have been scanning the area and …there are no signs of life in this valley. Either they were all at church and killed when it fell on the centre of town or something has wiped them out."

"So…What now?" Drew asks as he watches Ianto grimly zip open a body bag to reveal an alien being with sponge-like looking burnt orange skin, then lift a limb for Owen, his groan of disgust echoing in the coms.

"I go we nuke it from space" Jack says calmly, "We shake n' bake boys."

"What?" Drew looks up with surprise, "What do you mean?"

"We take samples then evacuate and we …nuke the site from orbit….as in a controlled blast that will cleanse this valley from ridgeline to ridgeline. Unit's problem" Jack explains calmly, "This time tomorrow there will have been a terrible natural gas incident or something."

"All those people…." Drew began and Jack waved a hand, his face a picture of sorrow through the face plate of his mask.

"Drew, they are all gone. Almost three hundred souls already gone." Jack sighs softly, "We must contain it now."

.

.

.

They are packing up as the countdown urges haste.

Tosh is still scanning desperately despite all the information and her hand hesitates as she looks at the screen "Jack? That small heat sig that was classified as a dog by Unit…it's still there. Why hasn't it moved on the last two hours?"

"Maybe it's shut in?" Jack wonders as he leans over her shoulder to look, as does Ianto but it is Orin who answers.

"An upstairs room, most likely a bedroom. Would you not shut such a creature in a downstairs room? What is small and kept in a bedroom of an afternoon when….." he is moving and Jack looks up as the bright orange biosuit disappears from the tent and Jack suddenly knows what he is doing.

"Orin, no. We have no time, get back here!" Jack yells as he struggles after the fleeing figure and everyone turns to watch the strange sight of two large balloon men running.

"Jack? You guys ain't go back to the village ya know, that flight is incoming" Owen calls out as he also see where Orin is heading, then the coms crackle.

"BABY" Orin screams with horror, "Oh gods, oh gods, please be in a double glazed house, gods."

"Ianto…hey, er Orin, the moment you break all the seals…hey even if it is then how do you carry it out, the air!" Owen is now frantically pulling up the flight ETA, cursing as the two men disappear into the village, running like cut cats.

The baby is crying and can be heard from the street, poor thing probably starving and terrified. The body laying by the letterbox must be the mother, a small child on a swing set at the side of the house still handing the chains with black coated fingers slows Jack as he tries to tell himself there was no way to save them.

"Jack!" Ianto barks at the door, "It's sealed. Fuck, it's a smart house. Sealed."

They look at each other, the problem now how to save the baby from what is approaching above.

Jack knows, as does Ianto and they push in, Ianto heading for the bedroom as Jack sits on the arm of the sofa and carefully opens his biosuit, looking up as Ianto races for him with the baby in his arms. A toddler of about 18 months or so wrapped carefully in a blanket so Ianto's suit does not touch and the baby is shoved into Jack's suit, Ianto closing it as Jack adjusts the bindle so he can carry it with his arms now inside the body cavity as well, the sleeves left the dangle.

"Ianto, chances are that this wee one is contaminated" Jack warns, "Might only be slight but just us entering his space caused it"

"At least he has a chance" Ianto replies, "We can give him a little more time for Drew and Owen to do their jobs"

"Speaking of time" the coms are raw with Owen's fear, "Any change you two can leg it?"

They run like the hounds of hell are following and I suppose they are. The pale rider sits in his jet fighter, Death strapped to the fuselage and the countdown is now just double digits.

"Fucking move yourselves!" Owen screams with fear as he sees the jets in the distance and watches the two orange blobs approaching, the one with an abnormally large chest and stomach has arms flapping about like a discarded scarf. Owen guesses the reason and curses and he races for the de-com showers but it is Drew that grabs his arm.

"No! We must maintain distance" he warns, "You and I are what is most necessary right now. You and I are the important assets. We cannot put ourselves in the quarantine zone."

Owen stops struggling and watches morosely as Tosh now runs with her arms full of towels and the two men disappear into the showers.

"I know what you are saying but if you ever keep me from them again I will fucking shoot you" Owen says emotionlessly to he pulls his arm from Drew's and Drew pats his shoulder now.

"It's OK. If you did not feel that way you would be not friend at all." Drew is the teacher now and must remember to act like it, even in this young body there still resides a professor, "Use it, focus that drive to find a way to help them all. This is not contained. You know that as well as I. The animals that fled…the wind blowing easterly….It is now freeforming and we must act."

Owen turns to look at Drew and nods, also hearing the knowledge in his words,

The real work has just begun.

.

.

.

.

Ianto is asleep against the window in the back row of the plane.

A plastic sheet separates him and the baby from the rest of the team, Jack's reset in the showers ala Webley means he is not contaminated but Ianto knows that the baby in the small containment box without the lid on is. Must be. The suit is difficult to sleep in and he is only slightly dozing, the worry of the baby now thrumming as well.

A loud thud makes Ianto bolt up, and look groggily at the Team still compiling as they head away from the zone. The thud was the noise of the explosion and the plane lights up momentarily before descending into predawn darkness.

Ianto feels terrible. His eyes are red and he's having trouble swallowing. He grabs his pillow and blanket and gets up.

"Where d'you think you're goin', mister?" Jack jokes and Ianto grimaces.

"Told you I was going to get a chill out in that bloody rain" He goes to the back of the plane where it's deserted, and lies down across three seats. His body shakes with a chill. He pulls the blanket tight against his chest.

"You sick?" Owen asks as he moves to the plastic sheeting to peer in at him, "Protocol…"

"Fuck off Owen!" Ianto snipes and Owen rolls his eyes as this is the normal bullshit after Ianto has to do a night run. Always with the dramas that one.

.

.

.

.

Still dressed in the biosafety suit Owen is opening one test tube after another, expertly withdrawing from each only a tiny sample of the virus, then putting it into a large test tube. Suddenly the air lock opens and Drew enters. Drew places the test tube into a clear plexiglass container which is contained within a large plexiglass container, each with its own combination lock. He twirls the tumblers. The locks snap into place.

They peer at the video monitor hooked up to the electron microscope. Drew flicks a switch on the console to change the magnification. The fuzzy brick-like structures are computer enhanced and enlarged to razor-sharp crystalline structures that look like huge ominous steel balls climbing up the sides of thick pillars.

"There's our guy" Drew points out.

"Ugly bastard, isn't he?" Owen huffs as he tried to hide his admiration for Drew's quick work. "I wouldn't let him date my sister."

As the image comes into focus the screen shows a wavy purple outline of a cell.

"The blood tests." Drew points to the different screen as he speaks, all that learning finally bearing fruit that Unit could never cultivate.

"Normal is this -pure purple. But if you're infected..."Another image fills the screen "the field is filled with wide patches of red circles."

Jack and Owen each peer into the scope. Jack then looks over at Drew and asks "If you're red, you're dead. Is that what you're telling me?"

"That's right, Captain" Drew nods, "But the rest of my hypothesis is just a quickie; I haven't had time to refine it. There are false negatives, purples that should be red. I don't know why yet."

"How long to fix it?" Jack demands.

Drew can't answer how long that length of string might be "Hard to say."

.

.

.

.

Tosh is outside the containment room watching Ianto check the seals and close up for the day, still jetlagged and snotty from the midnight run from hell.

He doesn't look good, his face is flushed and sweaty, his eyes glassy. He turns the "Open" locking mechanism around to "Closed" and locks the door then leans against it wearily.

"I know it was a bust but we got a lot of good stuff" Tosh was arguing, "The samples are making Owen more excited than the time he superglued Gwen's chair. If we can… Are you okay, Ianto?"

"I'm fine, Tosh... it's hot. That's all. Gotta get back to the Baban, bloody hate this suit though. Fuck, so hot. Lemme open a win…." Suddenly his face twitches, his body stiffens, his eyes roll back and he falls to the floor, convulsing violently.

Tosh screams.

.

.

.

Drew carefully withdraws a syringe of clear liquid from a rubber capped bottle labelled "DNA PRIMER." He mixes this into a blood sample from a team member. At the bench, Owen is doing the same. Drew looks under his scope. The field is filled with red circles. "Positive."

He takes another tube of blood from a different patient. Looks under the scope. "Positive."

Owen looks under his scope. "Positive".

"The whole fucking team's infected."

A sense of despair descends must as the fucking bomb did.

.

.

.

.

Jack storms out. Drew remains unruffled as he works diligently in a bubble of calm.

Jack bursts into his office and slams the door. He grabs the glass paperweight off his desk and throws it against the wall. It shatters. He stops. A moment of hesitation.

He picks up the phone to inform her majesty that Torchwood is in lockdown.

.

.

.

.

Drew looks at Ianto, lying in the bed, eyes completely yellow and lifeless, face and body covered in black-and-blue splotches. His chest rises and falls in short gasps. The baby went downhill in the night and it was both a relief and a horrific shock to learn that Torchwood has cryogenic units. Drew knows that if he fails, they all die.

Like….no pressure there, right?

At least the baby is safely encapsulated and if he does fail, maybe the next team can….who is he kidding. Jack has already explained to the team that he will blow the place with their bodies in it before giving up the secrets of this base. Drew has a strange feeling that Jack would stay down here with them, cradling Ianto until the end.

Tosh stands at Ianto's bedside. She's getting sick too: pale, sweating, starting to cough, but she's more worried about Ianto, who's barely conscious. The scarlet hemorrhagic rash can be seen on his cheeks. Jack is shocked at how far gone Ianto is and knows Orin is working overtime in there as he struggles to keep Ianto alive.

Suddenly Ianto starts convulsing and Drew runs over as Owen shouts "More Valium. Quick."

"We're out." Drew yells, "Shit. Where's the crash cart?"

Owen nods to an auto mechanic -style tool cabinet in the corner. Drew starts for it, but Jack's already there. He punches off the plastic lock, rips open a drawer and grabs a small box labeled Valium. He flips it to... Owen, who in a second, pops it open, pulls out the syringe of Valium and shoots the yellow liquid into Ianto's IV.

He stops seizing.

They are exhausted. No need to hide it as they sit blearily staring at each other and they try to pretend they want the sandwiches offered. Jack is the first to speak, "Ianto is dying."

"I'm doing all I can" Drew answers, poking at a sandwich.

"I'm not doubting that" Jack yawns and stretches, then coughs and sighs.

"You were looking better this morning" Drew says as he eyeballs Jack, "Now you feel sick again?"

"I ….reset in the night" Jack shrugs, "Re-contaminated myself when I came back up here to you guys."

"You shot yourself? Thought I heard a thump" Owen snorts, "God. Ianto hates when you do that shit. I hope you cleaned up your mess, he will have your guts for garters if he gets through this to find a blood splattered shower cubicle."

Drew stares at him as Owen starts to talk about the day ahead and the things that might be done to find more answers, Drew blinks and looks at Owen with confusion then back to Jack, "Wait. A reset means you were not contaminated anymore?"

"Nope" Jack frowns, "anyway. It's just like the flu for me. My 51st Century biology is fighting it from getting as bad as it will for you."

Drew blinks and stares some more.

"Jack. You are creating antibodies." Drew points at him as Owen stops talking, "Shit. Shit. Wait. We need…..wow. Jack, we need some blood to look at. If the antibody is effective, you could use it as a template. Maybe you could save us."

Beat.

"What?" Jack asks quietly in the too silent room.

"If we can get blood, create a template, you reset and are pure once more, then you re-infect so we have bloods to see the differences, I can narrow down or even seize your antibodies." Drew explains as simply as he can, his hands starting to flap excitedly, "Shit, we try it on Ianto, if Orin can sift through the final bits we can't get…within a few hours or so we could have a fucking serum."

"He's right" Owen nods, "Tosh?"

Tosh doesn't answer and they look down the end of the room to find she had slumped over at the end of the table.

.

.

.

.

"I understand" Orin croaks with obvious pain, "I am doing all I can to keep Ianto contained, if we can stop the onslaught I might be able to create the rest of what we need. It is risky but…I know we have little choice."

"If you can't….I want to have Ianto back" Jack said softly, "I know it hurts but he would want to be aware at the end. He needs that."

Tosh lies in the bed next to Ianto, both still apart from the chest movement as the machines work, Owen's hands shaking as he takes more blood.

Jack sits between them, the blood on the collar of his shift showing his reset and he sits watching both of them intently.

This has to work.

Then Drew appears in the doorway holding a large plastic bag of antiserum. Drew moves to hand it off to Owen who connects it to Tosh's IV and the brown fluid flows into Tosh. He sits down beside her. A long beat. Then he touches her face gently. "Hold on Tosh."

Tosh lies with antiserum running through her IV's. Owen's eyes are blood-shot as he watches her intently. He sneezes and sniffles. Jack stares toward Ianto, still so still.

The bag of antiserum is empty as it hangs by Tosh and Jack stands between the beds with a sense of hopelessness.

Owen reaches for Tosh's hand. Her finger twitches.

Beat.

Her eyes open.

They are clear of the virus' yellow hue.

She blinks and then softly smiles up at Owen.

Drew slumps with relief.

.

.

.

Ianto was watching Jack as he moved around the room, the pounding in his head easing as Orin soothed as best he could. They were both suffering as the machines hummed softly.

"Tosh goes into the room we set up for her today" Jack said softly as he finally sat, stopping the room from spinning as Ianto focused on him, "She is walking to the toilet and back, Owen is so pleased with her."

Ianto wanted to ask about the baby but something held him back so instead he reached up to tap the oxygen mask and Jack lowered it for him, leaning in close.

"You?"

Jack smiled softly, trust Ianto to worry about him when all those around him combusts.

"I'm missing those vowels" Jack choked out, "But it's OK. We're getting there."

"How, Owen?"

"Right here" Owen said as he entered, his face pale and gaunt showing the hard work he had been putting in, "Drew is still with Tosh doing some massage therapy. We are all OK here mate. Wanna know how we did it?"

"Yeah"

"Well, by taking Jack's blood when infected, then after a reset we were able to isolate the virus by comparing the two samples at the molecular level. Drew is a bloody natural. Anyway…we then had him reset and we took some more blood, we gave you a blood transfusion so…"

"How it?"

"Huh?"

"He means how much" Jack said softly, "His words are twisting on his tongue. He wants to know how much blood you took from me. I see your face, I know your thoughts love."

"How….fuck!"

"Temper, temper" Owen snorted, "15 or 16 pints?"

Ianto paled and a machine started to beep incredibly fast as Jack tried to soothe him and he glared at Owen, "Did you really have to tell him?"

"He asked" Owen said calmly, "He bled out a few times or you, apparently he wanted to die a few more, got pissy when I told him you were going to have my balls as it was. So, you wanna hear or not?"

Ianto growled softly in his throat, then closed his eyes and let the soft touch of Orin soothe, a relief to feel him again.

"Right. So. Anyway, as I was saying, giving you the complete blood transfusion with Jack's altered DNA gave Orin a short time in an almost uninfected body. The pure strain was able to be recognized apart from the mutated one and Orin was able to fight it as any alien being with healing powers would."

Ianto continued to blink slowly.

"When you started to rally, I …OK, Drew took your blood and checked it, found antibodies. Made a serum and I wanted to use it on myself first but Tosh…she is smaller than you and so delicate. I took a punt and used it on her, then as she rallied the antibodies showed in her system too." Owen grinned as he sat on the edge of the bed, "And then…I was able to treat all of us. The antiserum is now available if there were any breached in the quarantine."

Ianto nodded to show he understood, too damned tired to voice it and Owen rose, "Right. Rest. You're stuffed. Orin took almost all he had to fix this, if not for Jack's advanced DNA and spark of 'whatever' helping your worm you would have karked it on me. Then we would all have gone."

Ianto's eyes fluttered shut and Jack stroked his face with open concern.

"He will be fine, needs rest" Owen said softly, "Just like Tosh, there will be some residual effects but we will deal with that as it arises."

"I know, doesn't make it any easier to see him to bloody fragile…not Ianto" Jack sighed.

"Have you seen Orin?" Owen asked with worry, the alien being not talking to them since it all went down, "Anything?"

"No, but I saw a glimpse in his eyes when he first woke" Jack assured him, "I think he is just as tapped out as Ianto is."

"Well, I'm going back to Tosh now" Owen said as he turned to leave and Jack watched him leave with a soft smile, Tosh receiving the best treatment possible as Owen fussed gently.

Rhys had suffered as well, unable to help and forced to leave the hub before they infected him as well upon their return, he had twisted in the wind as he waited topside in the tourist centre to see if his friends made it or not. Now things were settled, he was back in the Hub and fussing like a mother hen.

"Come on Drew, you must be hungry" he insisted and Drew looked up from the microscope as the large sandwich floated into view, it was like a major construction that required a hard hat and Drew found that he was rather hungry.

"Thanks Rhys" he smiled as he accepted the sandwich and Rhys nodded happily as he went back to check the soup simmering on the stove. Chicken broth.

Well, Ianto had to start with something light right?

Rhys was on the job.

Ianto rested in the large bed with enough room for Jack to slide in beside him and Jack held him like he was spun glass.

So precious and delicate.

So beautiful.

.

.

Ianto lay staring at the pen in his hand with an intensity that might have it explode at any given minute.

"A square" Owen repeated, "Draw me a square."

Ianto frowned and said softly to himself, "A square. Draw a square."

The pen moved and he looked excitedly at Jack, then back to his task and rested, pushing the paper at Owen with triumph.

Owen accepted the paper and looked at it, then nodded, "Good mate. Rest now."

Ianto settled back in the pillows and then as Jack went to follow Owen Ianto's hands shot out, missing Jack's arm by a country mile but Jack saw it and moved his arm to allow Ianto the hold, "What love?"

"We will go see Kevin later?"

Since discovering the baby was in the cryo vaults Ianto had been making a daily pilgrimage to it now Owen had declared him well enough to move around in a wheelchair. Each day he asked, each day a different name. Jack wondered if Ianto was even aware he was doing it but since the scare a week ago he wasn't about to call him out on it.

Orin was still working hard to fix the damage done by the virus, the sensory damage only part of the problem as parts of Ianto's brain seemed irreparable and new neuropath ways had to be fashioned. It was strenuous work and Orin had put so much into healing Ianto that this was slow going.

"Yes love, soon" Jack assured him, following Owen outside and he held out his hand to the piece of paper, annoyed when Owen hesitated so he snatched it and turned it over to look at the perfect circle.

"It takes time" Owen said softly, "There is no reason to believe he will not recover."

"I note the lack of the word 'full' in that statement" Jack said as he looked at Owen.

"The weakness in his right side may linger. Look, at least he can hold the pen now." Owen sighed, "Ianto may never regain the full use of…hey…hey…"

Jack had slumped against the wall and Owen reached out to comfort, placing a hand on his shoulder as he spoke softly, "Positivity is a major factor here. We can't let him falter. We can't fail him."

"He had a cold" Jack said morosely, "The sniffles before we even left. He should have stayed back."

"And then it would have been me or Toshi with you?" Owen asked, "What then with no Orin to help produce the serum we needed? We all die? Yep. Sounds like you were a right selfish bastard there mate."

Jack snorted at the logic thrown at him and scrubbed his face as he tried to shake the annoyance, then he took a deep breath, "Right. Time to visit Kevin."

"He's going through the alphabet" Owen said suddenly, "Shit. The archivist mind still there. James yesterday, Ian the day before that. Today Kevin. What's the bet it stays with L tomorrow?"

"I hadn't noticed" Jack snorted, "He is."

Jack eased Ianto into the chair and then settled a rug about his legs before pushing him down to the vault and the drawer that housed the little one.

Ianto reached out and stroked the drawer, thinking of how afraid the poor wee thing must have been, how horrible all alone. Jack knew he had to keep it short of Ianto would get upset so he waited for a short while then leaned down, "Any chance you are up to a coffee?"

Ianto perked up and Jack was able to wheel him from the room, heading for the upper levels via the lift when there was a noise Jack knew so well that he gripped the chair was relief.

"Doctor!" he erupted from the lift and hugged the suited man standing at the end of Owen's gun, "Thank the Gods."

The Doctor listened to the problems that the virus had caused, watching Ianto intently as he tried desperately to appear normal, then gave in and let his hand twitch in his lap.

"Well, I do have some patches that might work, they have preloaded nanites…I have a couple of human ones left…I think…need to check but…maybe…." The Doctor kept swinging in the chair as he looked up at the rafters and he froze, "Is that…"

"Myfanwy, she's our pet Gerbil" Ianto said and then frowned, "That's not the right one."

"Well. I'll go check the cupboard…drawer…or maybe they are in the pocket of that coat…." The Doctor wandered off and Ianto turned to look at Jack another frown forming.

"Cariad?"

Jack smiled. Of all the words Ianto was getting wrong, he never fudged that one.

"It's OK, he's right. A quick reset, just like me" Jack assured him and Ianto canted his head.

"But what would it do to Orin?" Ianto asked calmly, "I need him to exist, there is so little tapioca left and if he hadn't helped me I would have died. Funny stuff tapioca."

Jack blinked, then swore softly. Nanites would definitely see Orin as a foreign thing and destroy him, even as they fixed Ianto. Could he lie to him? Jack looked into Ianto's wide eyes and knew what he had to say.

"Ianto, the patch would kill him." Jack said sadly.

"It's OK. I've had a good life, I should have died with my whale" Orin's voice was gentle as he tried to comfort Ianto, "This is a chance for you to be healed."

"Without the patch I will live and so will you" Ianto argued, "I would rather have a weak hand and you in my life, than kill you for my own gain!"

"Ianto…"

"NO!" Ianto snapped as Jack tried to intervene, "Let's see if he has any patches first."

"Here!" The Doctor crowed, waving one in his hand, "Found one!"

"Great!" Ianto said with his arms folded to show his defiance, "We can use it on Liam!"

"Liam?" Drew asked with confusion.

Owen blinked and then grinned, pointing at Jack, "See? Ls!"

"Huh?" Drew looked to Jack.

"The baby" Jack sighed as he slumped seeing the Welshman was determined. "He wants the patch for the baby instead."

,

,

,

"Phelan" Ianto said as he slid the name tag into the little wristlet, "I am calling him that."

"Yeah, I like that one too" Rhys smiled as he sat next to him, "Me and Drew were looking at baby names and that one seemed to jump out at us."

"Gaelic" Ianto smiled to himself, "Just right."

"This is going to work, right?" Drew asked and Ianto watched the way Rhys' arm snaked around Drew's waist to comfort, the action also not lost on Jack who raised an eyebrow.

"Er, we's been getting along" Rhys shrugged.

"Good" Ianto smiled softly, "Getting along. I like getting along too. Been a while since Jack and I got along, kinda hope we do soon, gotta itch the size of ...ah hey Doctor."

The Doctor entered and looked at the faces of three stunned mullets and a happy man in a wheelchair.

"Still working on our inner monologue are we?" he chirped as he stepped over to the little cryo-unit the baby slumbered in. "Ah, cute one."

"Yeah" Rhys released Drew to gush, "He's sweet, like a wee china doll, ain't he?"

The Doctor looked over the black rimmed glasses that seemed to have appeared from nowhere and smiled slowly, "Rhys, right?"

"Yeah" Rhys said happily, "Have we met before?"

"No, no" The Doctor shrugged, "Not yet anyway."

As Rhys canted his head at the weird statement the Doctor now focused on Drew, "And as for you youngling, best get over here. How are things with you? Are you settling into your skin? I always have days of angst when I get a new body. Still not ginger though. Been through ahhhh. Ten? This is number ten? I think...Jack?"

"Yeah, you are Ten" Jack said with a gentle affection for his friend, "A wonderful Ten."

The Doctor straightened up and looked at his friend with a soft smile "Why thank you Jack, Jack, Jackity Jax. You know, we do have a weird friendship. I never know how to leave you. Is it like a Band-Aid where I go quickly, or do I prolong it."

"Is..is that why you left me like that?" Jack asked with sudden shock, "Are you saying you left me like that because it hurt?"

"Well of course it hurts ya silly goose" the Doctor snorted, "I love you. Stupid ape."

"You know Dew could have gone for a ginger but decided not to" Jack pointed out and the Doctor looked at Drew with horror as they all laughed softly.

"Phelan, can we get back to him?" Ianto demanded, "He is going to wake up soon and I want him hurled. No. Shit. Not Hurled. Er...healed. Thank you Orin. Bloody worlds jumbling in my brain box. Can we please just heal the buggy? God fucking shit Christ!"

Jack knelt and placed his hands over Ianto's to stop them slamming down on his knees and leaned in close, "I think Mary popped Christ out love, read it somewhere."

Ianto took a deep shuddering breath as he glared at Jack and then let it out with a shaky laugh, then he turned his hands so they gripped Jack's and he nodded.

"One day at a time" Jack said softly.

"Right then, let's get this boy back" Rhys seemed keen as did Drew and Ianto was watching them as Rhys' hand found the small of Drew's back once more. Ianto leaned back in the chair as his eyes narrowed and he finally saw what his eager mind would have latched onto days ago if he had not been so busy fighting himself. He saw a fledgling couple. Well, well, well.

"Drew and Rhys" Ianto said slowly, controlling his words as best he could, "You look nice together. Happy. I am happy too. You deserve happy."

"So do you mate" Rhys said softly, touched that Ianto would say such a thing, "We all deserve sum happy in our lives."

"Will you take him?"

Rhys looked back around Drew who was leaning over the Cryo-unit with a worried frown, "What's that mate?"

"Phelan. I'm buggered or I would fight for him. I know I don't have a leg to stand on you see" Ianto waved a hand over his lap to prove the point, "Phelan needs family and I don't want him gone away. You and Drew could take him. Then I still get him too."

Drew straightened to look at the sad man in the wheelchair who was morosely staring at the cryo-unit "Ianto?"

"I would love to have him, love him, naturalize him…shit. See? Nurture. Nurture ya bloody shithead" Ianto scolded himself, "I would love to be a Tadda but I can't. I don't know what after-effects he may have so I don't want to give him away but…I'm stuffed."

Rhys finally caught on, "Wait. Are you asking me and Drew to raise him as a couple?"

"Yes!" Ianto slumped with relief, "Yes please."

The two men looked at one another as they had a silent debate then Rhys smiled softly, "What do you say toots. Wanna play house?"

Drew smiled back at the big bear of a man who made him still feel attractive and nodded silently.

"Good" Ianto sighed as he reached for Jack, "We all need happy."

"All I need is you" Jack whispered as he leaned in for a kiss, "The rest is gravy. You know that right?"

"My air" Ianto said as he gently patted Jack's chest, "You are my air. I breathe you."

Jack was touched and he kissed Ianto gently, reveling in the soft hum from his mate, then he drew back, "Phelan. How did you come up with that one then?"

"Rhys did" Ianto's eyes were dancing with merriment and Jack wondered why "He and Drew were talking about names and he said that one. I said it was a good strong one. We all agreed. Not just me."

"So" Jack sensed something amusing his tiger still so he decided to push, "What does it mean? Gaelic you said?"

"Yep" Ianto popped the P like he used to and Jack grinned as he saw the playful Welshman coming out, "An old name. Gaelic. Want to know what it means"

"Yeah" Jack laughed and he leaned in as Ianto brought his mouth by Jack's ear and whispered it to him, followed by a kiss to his earlobe.

"Phelan... Like a Wolf"

.

.

.

Ianto was aware of the bed dipping as Jack knelt on it and he grunted softly as he reluctantly gave away those last vestiges of sleep. Ianto blearily looked up at the harness descending and sighed, hating the bloody thing.

"I know, but you have to get used to it" Jack said softly, "What if I am not here and someone else had to toilet you?"

Ianto panicked.

Deep down he knew it was silly, Jack would never leave him but that statement came at a moment of only half awareness and Ianto knew he was about to 'have one' as Owen had started calling them and this pissed him off even more as he clenched his hands into fists in an effort to control the temper.

Jack felt it coming and glanced up in time to see the deep blush, something that was once so erotic and now just a sorry warning system that Ianto was going to cry. Jack sat on the side of the bed and took one of those fists into his hands, "What is it? Use your words love."

"No" Ianto said softly, as calmly and gently as he could but it still had a flatness to it that showed the anger underlying the single word. With Orin working through his own recovery there was no inner monologue to help him either, the words were stuck.

"You don't want the toilet? But I ran a bath too" Jack said with surprise, "I thought you wanted one."

"No" Ianto repeated, struggling to say the rest of the words and Jack realized this, not responding as he waited. "Not leaving me!"

Jack frowned as he tried to understand and then he replayed what he had said from Ianto's view and sighed "Baby. No. I'm not leaving you, I'm sorry. That was a rude choice of words. I mean, if I am stuck and can't get to you quick enough. No. I am not leaving you. I will never leave you."

Ianto took a shuddering breath and then nodded, his hand relaxing in Jack's and Jack smiled, "So. No harness lift? Come on, the old fashioned way is it?"

"Best kind" Ianto said as he held up his arms and Jack laughed as he forgave the tantrum that had almost erupted and he gently lifted Ianto in his arms to carry him through to the bathroom and the high bench to lay him on while undressing him.

"Did he Have One?" Owen asked as they entered, "Only I didn't hear anything smashing"

Ianto showed his dexterity with a single finger behind Jack's back as Jack passed Owen and Owen stuck out his tongue to hide the smile.

"That hyrdo lift cost a lot for a piece of modern art " Owen snarked, "Christ on a stick. Is he ever going to get in it?"

"He is here fuckwad" Ianto barked as he glared over at Owen and Owen smiled sweetly.

"Oh I am sowwwy" Owen said sarcastically, "I tawt da wee bubba was sweeping and Daddy had to cawwy him. Awwwww"

Jack turned to scold Owen but Ianto was faster as he struggled to sit up and swing his legs over the bed, "Fucktard wankface!"

Owen folded his arms and looked smugly down at the two feet that had hit the floor as Ianto rose and stood, shook with the effort and then lowered himself to the bench with a look of pure shock.

"Like I said when you placed the order" Owen said as he turned to stop the tap running "He wouldn't need that."

"Ianto, you stood!" Jacks lifted Ianto in his arms and danced around the room, whooping with glee as Ianto laughed and hung on.

"Finished?" Owen asked, "Only this water is getting cold and we put enough bubble bath in to last a lifetime."

"Smells wonderland" Ianto said happily and Owen went to correct him then closed his mouth as he glanced at the bath and saw it was like a wonderland so Ianto technically was correct. Besides. His slips were getting less and he had rallied him enough.

"Right, need the loo first?" Jack asked and Ianto shook his head, his eyes fixed on the large bath as Jack lifted him easily, walking over to lower him into the hot water.

"Ahhhhhhh" Ianto sighed happily, "Harsh."

"Harsh?" Owen asked.

"Hot" Ianto corrected himself, and snorted "But is Harsh on the ballsies."

They all laughed as Ianto settled against Jack who was kneeling by the bath to help hold him up even though they all knew Ianto could sit up without the support. Ianto tried not to splash him too much…well…OK. Of course he splashed, reveling in the bubbles.

"There you are" Rhys said happily as he entered with the little one in his arms, "Look Phel, Uncle Ianto splashes too."

Ianto's face lit up as he looked up at them and Rhys saw what a lovely child he must have been once, kneeling to let his son get a handful of bubbles from the loving uncle's outstretched hand.

"Grape" Rhys said to the wee one, "That smell is called grape. Yummy isn't it? Better than the strawberry one I got the other day."

"Tesco's" Ianto said gleefully, "Brills!"

"You are a lovely bloke" Rhys crooned at him, then reared back, "Shit sorry Ianto. That was...sorry. I didn't' mean to infantile you there."

"No bothers" Ianto laughed, "You are a lovely bloke too."

"Hear that Phelan?" Rhys crooned, "We are all lovely blokes here, yeah. And Uncle Owen."

"OI!"

.

.

Jack had been taking Ianto to the park to watch the children play, something that seemed to please him when he pulled into the warehouse around the corner to check a crate for Tosh.

"Can I get out too?" Ianto asked, "The perception filter works great, this really looks like an old abandoned building. Come on Jack, you know I will probably find it before you Cariad."

"Show off" Jack grinned as he lowered the chair and helped Ianto the short distance from the seat of the SUV to the chair, his determination to stand and take those furtive steps not lost on Jack who reveled in each step towards recovery as much as his love. Orin was stronger as well, although not speaking and interacting with the rest of the team, sometimes in the comfort of their bed the alien being did speak with Jack for a short time, if only to reassure him that work was going well within the 'vessel' they all loved so much.

Ianto rolled easily across the concrete of the huge warehouse that outside looked like a small four room house in disrepair. Jack strode towards the crates marked as recent and tore off a lid. Ianto decided to explore the facility that seemed to have been something industrial with old bins and large drums sitting along one wall. It was huge, like an aircraft hanger but it was not cold like the outside and Ianto wondered if it was natural heating or some alien tech Jack used to keep the temperature constantly comfortable. He seemed to remember that piece of tech they found from the Groffelom Empire disappearing soon after they discovered it was an industrial heater of some sort.

Ianto entered side rooms that were offices maybe once upon a time, then he found a wet room.

Huh.

"Jack? They bathed here?"

"Yeah, this had had a lot of uses from small aircraft during the war and even a blimp or two through to mechanics. Great place, been in the Torchwood group for almost a hundred years." Jack called out as he crouched by the relevant crate, "There is an upper level by stairs and elevator with some sleeping quarters for the flight crews. Bathroom and kitchen and..."

Jack stopped talking as he heard a grinding noise and he knew his face had paled as he stood and watched the lift slowly rise to the next level. He hadn't even thought when he had spoken and he held his breath, then let it out slowly as it seemed the gears had been left well oiled.

"Jack, it's almost as large up here as down there! WOW I see you!"

Jack watched Ianto appear at the large window wall of the office and realized it was the same as the hub. He started to laugh as Ianto waved, then disappeared from the grimy pane of glass.

"We could fit the entire hub in here" Ianto said, echoing Jack's thoughts as he shot from the lift, "What's over there!"

Jack watched Ianto explore, following quietly as he let his love coo and peer into dark corners. Finally he got the torch from the boot of the SUV and stopped fussing as he realized it was driving Ianto crazy. He settled in a crate to read the file he had been retrieving and when a dirty, dusty Welshman powered over he was flushed and excited, "vehicles. Oh My God, a 1934 Phantom back there. Jack, several SUVs and if I am not mistaken a fucking tank!"

"Really?" Jack looked up with interest, "I wondered where that went. Shit, I though HRH pinched it. Ha. Not a helicopter as well was there?"

Ianto blinked.

"Oh well, guess she did get that then. There is a Cesena back there somewhere as well, a couple of other flying machines. Gods, I forgot about the vehicle pool." Jack grinned, "Big huh?"

"Bigger on the inside Cariad?" Ianto asked with glee and Jack roared with mirth.

"Maybe just smaller on the outside love." He finally replied as Ianto looked up at the rafters, high above their heads.

Jack also stood and looked up, then around with fresh eyes. "Ianto, tell me what you see"

"Potential" Ianto answered, his gaze falling to capture Jack in its excited mirth.

Ianto hadn't looked so happy in so long and Jack could have danced a jig as he saw the fight in his eyes, ready to argue the reasons for using this place as a secondary hub.

"Well, we do need a back up hub" Jack decided to give it to him and concede defeat before Ianto got his blood pressure raised, "We can easily set up a fallback in case we need to go into hiding. Like, real hiding."

"Oh Jack" Ianto laughed softly, "Always looking forward, never to the side. Cariad. This is not just a great spy base."

"Oh?"

"Jack, this is a great base. Full stop. A home. My chair goes everywhere, I can recover in that huge dipping pool that was for entire bloody vehicles. I can swim in there, Jack. Look around" Ianto waved his hands, "Upstairs as our apartment, down here as the secondary, or nigh time hub."

Jack leaned back and considered.

Actually, it made sense.

Close enough to the hub to be suitable for a secondary base yet far enough for Ianto to have his full attention when he needed it.

Jack rose and stood looking around as he saw the potential.

They could live here?

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.

.

.

"But we can!" Owen repeated for the umpteenth time as he stood looking up at the mezzanine level.

"Sometimes" Jack repeated.

This had been going for a while and Ianto was genuinely interested in this weird game they were playing where Owen was pretending he didn't understand that he was getting a room and Jack was pretending not to let him have one.

Like bloody three year olds these two.

"Well, I might be sick and need Ianto to nurse me" Owen tried a new tactic, "Him and his worm know me ya know."

"Really? So I don't have to pay for your services? Ianto's coffee will do?" Jack countered and Owen's eyes narrowed as they started another staring contest.

"I will only have stuff in my room, I promise not to vomit more around the place. I really can't believe you even pointed that out, the Hub is different" Owen snarled.

"Three work areas" Jack was enjoying this, clearly as he leaned back against the back of the old sofa and looked bored, "You have the medical bay, the workstation assigned you by Tosh and then you took Suzie's. Now you think I trust you not to pinch an area here for your bits of gore?"

"Ianto likes my bits of gore, he can be gory too and anyway, Gwen doesn't use her workstation you assigned either, she doesn't use the little one that was supposed to be hers she stole Ianto's!" Owen folded his arms and there was a slight change on Jack's face. A flicker that was gone as quickly as it arrived but Owen knew he had struck a nerve so he went for the jugular.

"Ianto has to go under the stairs for the backup workstation that was only for emergencies. Doesn't complain but you know it means he can't' work with us. Always separate at the poky wee one or he has to go to the archives and that office space he had found there. Might be nice to work together when it's not the end of the world necessitating Gwen allowing him some room."

Ianto could see the atmosphere changing as Gwen became a weapons and knew soon Jack was going to have a cow so he intervened, "I guess a play pen for him is a good idea Cariad, then we know where he is. If Myfanwy comes like I think she will she won't want him lurking about. You know she likes to stalk him covertly."

"Hah!" Owen said with glee, then frowned, "What do you mean stalk me? She stalks me?"

"Constantly" Ianto shrugged as he rolled past in the chair with a look of disinterest in the whole thing, "Still trying to work out if you are of edible size I think, you being the smallest."

"Huh?"

"Like culling the herd" came Ianto's voice faintly as he turned a corner and Jack struggled not to laugh as Owen stood gaping in the direction he had gone.

 _That was mean_

"But needed, they would have fought all bloody afternoon and I want the dimensions for the carpeting" Ianto replied softly, finding it easier to talk to Orin out loud as his mind kept four running lists alive internally.

 _I am feeling stronger every day, this place makes you happy and it seems to aid me_

"Yes, I feel it too" Ianto smiled as he leaned back in the chair "I can walk further. I don't want to push it but you know my swimming is getting stronger and I think soon I can give up these wheels."

 _It will mean a lot to Jack as well, he watches you sleep with such concern_

"He does?"Ianto stopped and smiled softly, finding the idea of Jack watching over him so endearing. For a man who doesn't like the 'L' word he does express it a lot in other ways.

 _His concern is well noted but unrealized. You and I are recovering. I am starting to enjoy this body once more_

"Orin, I've been meaning to ask you, about love. I mean me and Jack have a lot of ...er...rubbing time. I know you never interrupt but are you OK? I mean...I do love you."

 _Ianto I do not require physical affection to feel loved. I know you love me. I feel like you are mine and I share you with him, nothing more nothing less. My kind only couple for procreation a couple of times in our entire lives. We choose companions and you are my companion. I am content. I love you too_

Ianto was relieved to hear this, sitting back and considering the layout in my mind. If he had a lot of chairs placed about looking like they were part of the main decoration then he could walk the short distances and rest for a while, then walk to another.

 _Don't overdo it_

"I know, but I want to push a little. I feel like I have been dragging my heels and letting my fears get in the way" Ianto sighed "I need to get myself back in the game."

 _You humans and your games_

"I know, I use that analogy a lot. Perhaps, get my mind back in business?" Ianto laughed.

Much better

"Yeah, I think so too" Ianto agreed.

"Think what?" Jack asked as he entered.

"That I need to go to a few second hand stores to get what I want. Some new bits like our bed but you know I like old things." Ianto said softly as Jack leaned in for a kiss, "After all, I like you."

"What?" Jack gasped with fake horror.

As Ianto powered away he shot over his shoulder "Most of the time."

It took Jack a few minutes to realize there had been no accent and Orin had been playing with him for a change.

Jack's bark of laugher echoed as he realized Orin had been bloody funny actually.

Ianto was a bad influence on him.

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	29. Chapter 29

29

"Funny, with Gwen gone there was so much more stuff" Rhys said with a weird frown as he and Drew walked in the sunshine, "I mean, she took all her shit when we zapped her or whatever. I thought there would be less to pack, how weird. I have been having too much fun with you two and your bloody antique shopping."

Drew snorted, "First of all, we are not Men in Black so I doubt she was zapped, but good analogy. This Gwen you all talk about like she is still here doing something, like you expect her to somehow resurrect from the bowels of hell and burn the place down. You don't talk about her much. I know she is your ex, she was gone before I arrived but she still lingers like a bad smell, Owen wants to have a ritualistic burning of her workstation. Ianto had promised I can choose a new one. Owen did a little dance and then started pulling two apart."

"Well she did have a habit if infesting places. I thought she loved me but now I know what love is. Now I realise she was just waiting for something else to come along whether they wanted her or not" Rhys sighed, stepping aside to let his smaller and visibly younger partner across the threshold as Dew shoved the wheelchair from behind and Ianto squeaked impatiently to get inside but the back wheels had caught on the threshold. "Besides, she betrayed Ianto here. Told me all I needed to know."

"What are you packing for Rhys?" Ianto asked as he rolled along peering at books, "Yes I know. Shut up."

They ignored the second comment, now used to Ianto sometimes replying to Orin out loud if distracted. He was soon pulling out books and cooing as he argued that he really did need more.

"See? Even Orin thinks the Ianto Library has enough titles" Drew laughed as Ianto glowered into space. No doubt focusing as an internal war now raged and the firm grip on the book told them all he was keeping it either way.

"Wow, how about this one Sweetie?" Rhys asked and Drew stepped over to look, the warmth spreading as Rhys tucked him into his armpit and kissed him gently, then stepped back so they could look at the old wooden desk, "I could take you on that. Good and sturdy. Imagine Owen's face if I lean you over it and snog you like Jack does Ianto when they think we can't see."

"Oh he knows you see" Orin's deep chocolate voice said softly, "That seems part of the fun. For all his fake slapping Ianto knows too."

"Oi!" Ianto said with obvious annoyance and they sniggered, so funny seeing him apparently annoying himself. Orin was funny, their games and fake blustering fun to watch especially when they all now knew the level of affection between Ianto and his Pilot.

"Look, Phel would love this one!" Drew suddenly called out, calling them over to a small wooden car, like an old soapbox racer only miniature. A first push along for a little one, the handle at the back to aid a parental to push, then the little one to use while learning to walk.

"Well I think we have our first purchase" Rhys said as he pulled Drew on again, "First buy for our new place."

"That's why you are packing?" Ianto asked with glee, "Moving in together?"

"Yeah" Rhys smiled, "Drew is ready to move out of the Hub and I don't want Gwen in this relationship so I am leaving the flat. We found a nice wee place near the Hub 2 and are going to settle there, nice back yard for the stink."

"Hub 2 … oh the Warehouse?" Ianto canted his head, "you guys calling it that?"

"Well you don't have a name for it" Drew smiled as he watched Rhys gently lift the little toy and walk to the counter to place it aside. Determined that it was for their child now, possessive like, ya know?

Sweet.

"I never thought about it" Ianto leaned back in the chair, "You're right. It should have a name, all great places have names. We will talk to Jack about that."

'We' of course included Orin who was already considering the idea too. Ships have names, like a vessel. Homes house the vessels that portect the souls. Like ships. Yes. A name. Good luck in the right name.

"OH MY GOD!"

They swung to find Ianto standing out of the chair reaching up, his eyes wide as he pulled at a cage and he settled back in the chair with the cage in his lap, turning to around, "Poor thing. It's OK, I found you."

Orin's voice, whatever is was it was something he wanted badly, Rhys squatted and placed a hand on his knee, "Buddy?"

"It's a Jabberwocky." He said with wide eyes, "A real live one, in stasis."

"Dude, you know they are not real, it was a poem by the man who wrote Alice in Wonderland, right?" Drew said with confusion, then peered at what looked like a statue of a little dragon curled up as if asleep, all covered with dust and grime.

"No, no. Real!" Orin was arguing as he wheeled towards the counter, "Excuse me sir, where did you get this?"

The elderly man peered at it, "Oh, one of my competitors closed down. Billis Manger, a horrible little man that disappeared. When they foreclosed on his store I picked up quite a few nice pieces. That was in a box of stuff. Ugly isn't it?"

Orin clutched it to his chest defiantly as he shook his head, "No, he is lovely. Wonderful wee chap. I must have him if only to give him some sun."

The man looked more closely at the young man in the wheelchair and felt sorry, so young and so damaged, obviously childlike in the way he spoke with those big grey pools of innocence.

"Tell you what, I still have the box under the shelf that sat on. I will give you the whole lot for what I paid, ten quid." He said and Orin held out his hand to shake, which he was sure the custom to seal a deal. The old man was touched by this long forgotten sign if completion and looked again, seeing the way the other two hovered. "Wanna see the other thing I got?"

Ianto blinked, Orin stepping back as he got what he wanted and did not care about the rest, then nodded.

"Come on young man" the old man led them to a back room and Ianto felt his mouth go dry as he stared at what was clearly …..

.

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.

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OOOOOOO, what.

Tardis? Too obvious and I don't want them to travel yet, would rather the Doctor for that as he would be more fun.

Tank? Jack really wanted one of those.

Maybe something that can help protect the new home like a dome or bubble?

Something evil? It was from Billis.

Come on guys….lets get cooking, what do you think?

Also, what will we call Hub 2? After all, it is not really a second hub; this is Ianto, Orin and Jack's home.


	30. Chapter 30

Lady Emma Wentworth  
AAAHHH! Cliffie!

So glad to see this is still motoring on!

Struggling to decide what I want Ianto see in this back room. A TARDIS would be too obvious, and besides, how do you know it's actually a TARDIS since the Doctor's is the only one the team has seen. They already have a Myfanwy, don't need another of those. It has to inanimate or like the JabberWocky, in stasis, but what' special enough?

Argh! I hate decisions! How about a painting of Jack as an OLD man, but before he becomes the Face of Boe.

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DEE

I'd say a Tardis coral, about the size of a 20 inch doll, slightly deformed by damage (proximity to Bilis would damage everything!) but could be healed under the right influence/circumstances. The old man probably thinks its an unusual art piece or statue. That would bring the Doctor, for sure. Bilis Manger would probably have something related to his demon god so I would NOT want Ianto's home to be infested with that. Be interesting to see how the jabberwocky reacts to Orin/Ianto. A tiny fire lizard! Jack will coo a over it. As for the guys' place... well, Jack is lord of the Coat and the other two are edibles...

* * *

30

Ianto pointed and Andy looked confused as he reached for it, Ianto making a small noise then hissing, "Gentle!"

Andy lifted the weird little sculpture roughly the size of a Barbie doll and passed it to Ianto who was now staring at it with wide eyes.

"What is it?" Rhys asked.

"Lightning sculpture" the man told them, "I looked it up, couldn't work out what it was for the life of me. Found this article on them. Apparently you stick a steel rod into sand and lightening strikes, turning the sand to glass. You dig it up carefully and get this. Pretty, isn't it? Fragile too, already has some bits broken off. Over here in a box, tried to glue them back on but they didn't hold."

Ianto was hugging the sculpture to him with a look of…well…almost panic as he looked around and then Andy squealed, "Look! Jack with sideburns, holy shit, it looks just like Jack!"

Ianto could have told him that it was Jack, he did have sideburns back in the day but he didn't say a word, just kept hold of his finds, the cage in his lap and the sculpture in its little box with broken pieces against his chest where his heart was beating so fast…so very fast. Twice as fast as normal.

"Right then" Rhys said, glancing at Ianto with a frown, "Seems we want these, you said that box right? Well. Tell ya what, the stuff you got from this Manger bod, seems to be stuff this mad one likes. What did you pay for the lot?"

The man was looking at Ianto intently, then he straightened and looked at Rhys who seemed the most calm of the lot, "Is he OK?"

"Ianto had an accident, almost died …Canary Warf, ya know. That terrorist thing? Head injury. Sometimes he's fine but occasionally…well. We try to keep him happy, a good man who saved others that day at the expense of himself." Rhys said in a sad whisper, "Poor sod."

"Well. I was hoping for a return on my investment of at least 25% or more. Look. There were three crates all up, three in the auction and I got two of them for a hundred. You pay me a hundred and thirty? Yeah?" the man asked, "I mean I gotta make a living and when I opened them I was buggered to find shit like this in there, not the clocks and other things I thought. That bastard Gordon got that crate. Prick."

"You saw in his crate?" Orin asked, making the man jump at the deep voice.

"Yes, he opened his first. I now know he helped pack them with them with the auction house, got the best stuff in the one he wanted and opened it so the rest of us would want the other two. Thinks he's fucking funny" the man growled.

"Well, joke is on him" Rhys said with a pat to the old man's shoulder, "You've made him happy. What say we double your money if ya throw the wee car in as well. Yeah?"

Soon they were flying home and Ianto demanded it be the new home, not the Hub. As they all got out of the vehicle Ianto slid out onto his feet and everyone watched as he shuffled with great difficulty to the elevator with the Jabberwocky cage under one arm and the box containing the sculpture under the other.

"Babe?" Jack called out softly, running towards him and he slid into the elevator as the doors started to close, "What? Shit is that a Jabberwocky?"

"Here, take it" he shoved it at him and then grasped the box possessively, "You can have the dragon-thing, this is mine!"

"OK love" Jack agreed, still in shock as he watched Ianto shuffle from the elevator without help and towards the desk set up in their room. He collapsed into the chair and picked up the phone, "Hey Tosh. Any chance I can whinge a pot of tea off you sweetling?"

He replaced the phone and Jack looked up form the cage to see Ianto lifting the delicate sculpture from the box.

"Cool huh?" Andy said as he entered and placed the tray down, Rhys following with the crate Ianto had pulled towards him in the store and squealed at.

"Do you know what that is?" Jack said with his body now numb.

"Here, this is you!" Owen laughed as he held up the old painting, "Look, ya daft twat. Sideburns!"

Jack blinked, then looked back at Ianto. No. Orin was smiling as he calmly tipped the teapot over the sculpture.

"Is that how you clean it?" Rhys asked, then turned to Jack, "It's a lightening sculpture, made from lightening hitting sand."

"No. No. That's not what it is" Jack started to feel a tingling in his fingers and toes as Orin started to sing softly to the coral, feeling a response in the air.

"No. That's the heart of a TARDIS!" Jack breathed with wonder, "Orin found a baby TARDIS. Holy shit."

"Bullshit!" Owen snorted with mirth, "It's not even blue."

Jack looked at Owen with confusion, "Huh? Blue?"

"Yeah, I've seen the box. It's blue" Owen said as he turned to leave, "Bloody bullshit artists the both of ya. Well, three of ya if ya count the worm."

As they laughed and left Jack and Ianto alone another chuckle could be heard.

Soft and only those empathic could hear it.

"A girl!" Orin said with glee, "Hello little lady. Wow."

Jack thought a baby dragonette was the best thing he could have brought home but now he was speechless.

The song was so delicate, just like her.

.

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So. Names? Can she speak or just send images? Maybe her translation circuitry is not yet formed so she can't understand them at first?

Whatcha think?

A wee toddler?

Also, I left those to crates of shit for you to decide what wonders might be in there….or shit they can pretend it something wonderful to get up Owen's nose?

SNORT


	31. Chapter 31

FranArian … She can likely understand them fairly well, but probably isn't grown enough to speak to them yet. The Doctor calls his Sexy...maybe the little on can be named for what she now is and what she'll allow Ianto and Jack to be one day...Free.

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Lady Emma Wentworth … The lightning sculpture is amazing. Saw an article & photos of a metal sculpture created by pouring molten metal down an old ant hill, then when had cooled & solidified, the guy dug it up, cleaned all the sand from it and it was just ethereal. My art collection is mainly watercolours but I think I'd pay money for something like the lightning or the metal sculptures.

Thank you for including my idea, but Dee's was so much better!

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Eleana666… Twyla is a good name...reminiscent of starlight and the dark places between. She is just a baby and she has been put away alone for so long. She imprints on the warmth, light, kindness, joy and light she instinctively feels from Ianto. She loves him as and needs him. She will communicate first through projecting feelings and needs without words. She transmits through pure love and emotion. Later. She will begin to communicate through language with a few words like a toddler . . Dee … A baby TARDIS! Way to go, Orin! (Her name suggested itself, Star Wanderer) Because she's been covered in gunk for so long, she isn't capable of speech yet, but Orin - and Jack, because of his previous association with a TARDIS - will be easily able to communicate with her telepathically. She may even be able at some point to separate Orin and Ianto safely. Jack may even be able to guide her growth by allowing her to access his memories of the Doctor's TARDIS; there's no telling yet what Orin knows about TARDISes but she's in good hands. Those "broken bits" could be parts of her matrix or other crucial parts. This could bring the Doctor running to them, since he or his TARDIS will sense her. I suspect that Jabberwocky has some connection to her as well... And that painting of Jack... you have brought up more mystery here. Just what is in that third box and who has it? And who did that painting? Great chapter! . . scoutbokmal … An electronic book with "Don't Panic" written in big friendly letters on the cover. Looks a bit like an e-reader/largish calculator.

A short squat black rod, smooth and matte with a couple of flat switches and dials at one end.

A towel

A small, yellow and leech-like fish in a jar

A couple of dog-eared scripts for stage-plays

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scoutbokmal …. A pair of sunglasses that turn completely dark and opaque at first sign of danger

* * *

….

31

She was delicate, so dainty and shy. Shy as a wee mouse and the first time Jack felt a spark from her he could have danced. So long since he had felt a TARDIS near and is stirred something in his soul. Just a feather touch but enough to give him hope.

Now … as to our other little sweetling.

Jack was watching intently as Owen worked the tin snips and he gasped as Owen moved to cut the first bar of the cage. "No, no. Lower, as close to the base as possible. Like, he is sleeping on a little plate."

Owen looked at him over the edge of the safety glasses then shoved them up before Ianto could scold. He was half way through the bars when said tight arse minced in with a little cat bed in his hands which Jack snatched off him with glee as he declared it perfect.

Owen finished cutting the bars and watched Jack run his fingers around and hum then look to Ianto who did the same. He shook his head and then produced a piece of cardboard which he slid under the little sculpture and Jack made a noise of concern as he helped slip the dragon thing from the cage bottom onto the little cat bed.

The little thing fitted like a glove.

"There we are, look at him is he warm do you think?" Ianto was nervously feeling the edge of the bed and Jack nodded as he assured him that is was.

"Jabberwocky are hot blooded."

Owen shook his head at their stupidity in acting so silly round a carving or whatever it was and he wondered how far they were going to take what was obviously a bloody prank, then it occurred to him that he didn't know what was in the crates that had been brought in. He wandered over and peered in, seeing sunglasses.

Huh?

He plucked them out and slid them on, turning to talk to the others only to freeze as he saw Ianto turn to speak to Toshiko, the glow at his neck like fine hair-like tendrils twisting around his throat to rest at the base of his brain. He removed the glasses and it was all normal. He looked at the black lenses and wondered if he needed a sleep or something, then put them back on.

It was back.

He turned to tell Jack and froze, the golden hue looked like some sort of explosion confined to a hominoid space. Owen took them off and looked at hem.

"What do you have there?" Ianto was there reaching for them, "Glasses"

Owen stood there still dumbed to silence as Ianto slid them on and looked at Jack, then started to laugh, "Oh Wow. Rowdy Roddy Piper glasses, Jack. Like the 'They Live' movie, look!"

"Ah, Bevarian Glasses, these are so cool. The Doctor had a pair too, well he had lots of pairs of glasses really" Jack said happily "These are rare."

"What else is in there?" Ianto asked, then he seized a shoe box from inside the large box and tucked it under his arm with a furtive look as he backed off.

"What is it?"

"Ah … just a book" Ianto said lamely, "Er. A guide thing."

Jack looked at him and canted his head, then spun back to Owen, "Wonder what Janet would look like through these."

Owen chortled and wondered too, wandering off without a second thought for the box Ianto was now retreating with to the elevator, shooting up to their private quarters where Jack followed and found him giggling softly as he removed a towel, and what looked like an E-Reader.

"Cariad, know when I asked you to watch Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with me and you laughed, saying 3D glasses were more important than a towel?"

"Oh man, look at this" Jack laughed as he settled and saw a survival box from someone with a warped sense of humour, "You know this reeks of the Doctor. He would watch that show and set up a box like this just for shits and giggles, of course he wouldn't say shits and giggles. He doesn't curse."

Ianto watched Jack become pensive as he looked from the box over to the wee coral sitting under the heat lamp, her daily dose of tea still pooling around her feet…roots…whatever.

"Jack?"

"Do you think…I mean she is only little but do you think she will be able to talk to Sexy?" Jack asked as he considered, "I mean, she might call her this way? Alert her or something once she is big enough?"

"I don't know, I mean if they are sentient beings it stands to reason that they communicate" Orin answered as he stepped forward, this a problem he had been chewing over himself, "What if he wants to take her to complete his TRADIS or something? I do not know, what if the two do not like one another? Are they territorial beings?"

"I have no idea" Jack blinked as this something he had not considered. If the two did not like one another what would that mean? Would she repel the Doctor? The one person he wanted…

Jack looked at the handsome man who was now chortling as he looked at the towel, holding it up as he sniggered to himself "Don't panic."

Jack realised it didn't matter.

If the Doctor came, left ...whatever. He had a chance already and had only wanted to help Ianto, had seen the two men in his life and chose.

He chose, right?

Ianto started to laugh as he helped up a Jar with what appeared to be lightning bugs but when you looked closer they were little fish.

"How do they survive in there?" Ianto asked with wide-eyed wonder, his little amusement catching as Jack started to laugh as well.

Jack stood and walked over to explain that these beings did not need food, they lived with an empathic ability to feel people's electrical fields and the old man moving around the crate would have been enough.

With the right energy they might get bigger.

Orin considered and agreed.

Much bigger.

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OK? So … could these turn into space whales? Orin's ticket out of here? No? Yes? Too obvious?

Also, the name is closer … I agree with the Star Wanderer thing but maybe something Ianto chooses so Welsh?

Aderyn is Welsh for bird.

Franes is flight.

Bron means heart.

Seren is Star.

Baffi for box.

Mel is honey.

Carai is loved.

Cofleidi means hug or embrace.

Or do you think a Welsh name is not right? She might already have one?


	32. Chapter 32

**scoutbokmal** I feel like the babel fishes would be useful in their line of work.

 **Dee** A Welsh name, but I like Seren Cofledi; after all, when she is ready for flight, she will be embraced by the stars and universe. Those tiny fish are probably immature Whales, and where and when could they be safely released? They could be Orin's way home; he could link with one. It would leave Ianto and Jack bereft of his wisdom and strength if he chose to leave but I suspect he won't. He could also choose to be avatar for the baby TARDIS. Those glasses are INTERESTING, especially when Owen looked at Ianto and Jack. We know Jack is vortex energy inhabiting a body but what's with Ianto and it's centered around his neck and base of his brain. Ianto is empathic; could this "ring" be healing him? When will the Jabberwocky awaken and is it telepathic too? I'm loving all the suggestions I've seen from everyone! :)

 **DomIantoRules** Maybe the ring was Orin? And he IS healing Ianto.

 **Lady Emma Wentworth** I think she has a name of her own, one chosen by her at inception, the way the Time Lords choose their own names, the name they will become.

 **FranArian** Won't Ianto die or be irreparably damaged if Orin leaves? That was rather the impression given in the beginning. And I'd say the baby Tardis already has a name...what they call her to begin with will likely be a nickname until she's mature enough to tell them her true one.

…..

* * *

"Alright there shiny Seren?" Ianto was crooning as Jack entered and he paused, frowning down at Ianto.

"Sweetheart, you know she probably already has a name but just can't tell us yet" he said gently and Ianto glanced up at him with glee making his face glow.

"Silly, Seren means star. She is a little star. I know she is trying to get bigger every day, yes you are my darling" he went back to droning at the pretty little instillation as Jack shrugged and walked over glance to his own pet project…well more Owen's these days.

"Tosh was looking for you back at the Hub" he said as he settled on the edge of the bed and eyeballed the man in their private quarters as he toed off his boots, "I'm gonna take a nana nap. Do you really have to be breathing there?"

"Grumpy old bastard" Owen said to the little dragon thing, his fingers touching it and noting the warmth he could detect, slight but there. "Listen to him polluting the air with his negativity and daring to complain about me breathing. Right bastardy twat. Yeah."

"I thought you didn't believe it was real" Jack yawned and pulled Ianto's pillow over for a cuddle, watching Owen as he continued to stroke the back of the Jabberwocky.

"It's warm" Owen whispered, "Ianto told me it was waking up and I came over to scoff. Then I touched it. Feel it, it's warm. The little back is sort of leathery, like a soft calfskin. Feel!"

Jack grinned as he watched Owen transform into the child he may have been given half the encouragement, his eyes wide as he stroked his fingertips once more, "So cute. Do they have names too?"

"Don't be daft, of course they do!" Orin laughed, "Crusher or something probably. For little things they had big egos, oh. Right. Of course its responding to you. Sees a kindred spirit."

"Yeah?" Owen looked up with surprise as Orin gracefully walked over to look down at him, the chair left behind without a second thought. Owen blinked and his eyes slid to Jack who had also noticed.

"Yes, you are very similar" Ianto nodded with a soft smile, sitting on the bed and rolling into Jack's arms for a kiss.

"Small, compact and yet deadly" Owen snarled with fake bravado.

"Little, ballsy and full of bullshit more like" Jack laughed as he rubbed his little heart's back and crooned, "If you could set fire to the world ya would but you could never reach the matches on the big boy shelf."

"Fuck you" Owen growled, then sniggered as he reached out for yet another stroke.

"Leave him alone Cariad" Ianto muttered as he settled, then a deep chuckle told them that Orin was finding it amusing as well and Owen swung as he took a chance on the alien being still at the forefront of their mind.

"Ianto walked again, are you doing that with the thing you are doing around his throat and brain stem?" Owen asked, Jack's hands stalled as he stared at Owen with wide eyed shock.

"Yes" Orin purred, his voice even more chocolaty velvety goodness than Ianto's and that took some doing ya know, "He will soon be able to stand and walk for extended periods as he once did. The chair will become obsolete once more as a means of transportation. These vessels are so delicate, it took me some time to work out the little nuances of his brain synapses. I have it now. I grow stronger with Jack's help, as does our common love. Owen, the little thing you pet is actually a boy. He seems to like you but is agitated with the space around him apparently they like confined spaces to sleep. A security thing. Any chance you can find a little box he can slide into? Like a containment box without a lid laid on its side? A roof and sides makes him feel safer while he slowly becomes more aware."

"Bullshit" Owen said, then grinned as he leaned forward, "Hang on. You don't kid about like these two, are you serious? I'm not just imagining it?"

"He slumbers, yet it is a rising level of awareness my eager little friend."

"Cool"

"And the little one does like being called Seren, she loves the stars. Remembers in her mother's heart." Then he yawed, "Now piss off there's a good boy."

Owen blinked, then sniggered, "How about that, Orin is a potty mouth too."

He scooted off and the men drifted off as their little coral beauty hummed them to sleep.

She did so love it here and the vortex energy that was thrown about the room like a deep musk was also a positive inclusion as she imbibed.

She got stronger every day, as did her friend.

She couldn't wait to see him fly.

She might fly one day.

As strong as those fish glowing gently in the corner of the room.

The Babel fish did enjoy their talks with Orin, his telepathic abilities were astounding.

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So, name for our little dragonette … I do thing something big like Megaton or something stupid. A Godzilla style name for something the size of a cat LOL … also see Owen building it a little house, go all gooey and get it like a doggy place kitset form and even put in a heated mat. Not even subtle in his decision to steal it away as his own pet.

I agree that Orin must stay, he cannot leave Ianto without it killing him but this doesn't mean he can't commune with the others, the Babel Fish do work with Telepathy right? By this means he can relive some of his trips maybe? We could have a chapter here and there where he is telling her a bedtime story? Any ideas of things he might have seen?


End file.
